Familiars Never Cry : The Second Stage
by zaberfang
Summary: The story continues as our beloved Dante and his young charge, Louise will be facing the next challenges that this hidden twisted world of Halkeginia has to offer, Please do watch your eyes and imagination as you read the first chapter. This Party's Getting Crazier! Let's Rock Hard! XD.
1. Mission 1 : Brief Reminiscence

Author's message:

Sorry to keep you waiting,

As I was planning out the FNC world sometime ago, I was kind of thinking that this would be a piece of cake to write, then came the things that I put in on the fly that I ended up making the storyline a bit too large. I thought I could use this chapter to show to readers what the society was like in Halkeginia from another perspective, the normal peasant's side, without the ZnT characters we know of...well you might see something close anyway. XD

I'll try to do so anyway...

And so we begin this new season with a little back-story of a certain character…sort of...

This story and the details might be offensive and depressing to those who might read it; I did my best to soften the hit by writing as little subtle of a description as possible. But this has to be shown, this world is no bed of roses like previously thought even by the author himself… which is me…XD

Dark humor will come from time to time, at least in in my P.O.V. but there are...a lot of stuff going on in there that...needs no other description to know just what it is.

You have been warned.

**Zaberfang** presents:

Familiars Never Cry: The Second Stage

FNC Mission 1: Brief Reminiscence

／人◕ .◕人＼

"The Tristain Academy of Magic,

A place where Nobles learn to learn, hone and perfect their mage craft and refine social etiquettes for their future lives."

So stated from an excerpt of a graduated student's journal,

But at this point, said praise could be easily thrown out the window should anyone see whatever the Academy Head is doing right now…

Osmond stands by the Office window babe watching with the use of a pair of military grade Binoculars?

And for some reason, he's got a modern switch counter in his left hand…

And he's counting really, really fast…

"That's B, those two are C… and that's…wow! a D!", he declaims

It was this scene in which Dante arrived on…

'The heck is he going about?' he wondered after closing the door,

"Hey old man…" he called out, but the old man remained focused in doing whatever he was doing.

'What is this guy looking at? Is he bird watching?' he asks himself, as he walks behind the old man for a closer look,

Only to see that the Academy Head is then observing a gaggle of the girls, students who are playing a game that appears to be an old version of lawn tennis. They're currently wearing a completely white version of sports attire of their world, consisting of a white blouse, short skirts, and very short drawers and some are actually wearing lacy panties…

And they say that the Middle Ages were a prim and proper era.

But then again, this is another world so, maybe that doesn't count…

'There's a need to reinvent bloomers and spats, RIGHT NOW…' Dante reflects, still not taking his sights of the girls at play…

Then thought that the old man might be rubbing something off to him…

"Oh he's bird watching alright, of the 'adult' kind…" he comments, as he takes a rolled map from the table…

Well, time to get back into business…

Before he acts further however, he then realized something,

'Wait. Is he talking about breast sizes?' he thought, wondering how the pervy old man knew of such terms…

Then he saw among the articles, a certain magazine with the capital 'P' on the title font.

'Oh, so that's why…' Dante reflects, reading the magazine with one hand, while his other hand holding the rolled up map swings at the target.

*WHACK*

"OUCH!"

"What the hell are you doing?" he deadpanned, with the magazine on hand.

"I'm taking measurements, recording the bust sizes in this Academy."

'This is one of a hardass pervert,' Dante thought, sighing rather resignedly, crossing his arms in light irritation,

Then, old man calmly returns to watching,

"B, C, D, C, C, D, E, D!"

Dante sighs, as he wordlessly draws Ebony.

*CLICK*

*BANG*

Dante shoots the old man with Ebony, making the bullet miss Osmond's head by mere inches,

The old man suddenly gets a flashback,

A young man sits down on the ground, breathing heavily after fighting an intense battle against the enemies ,as the man dressed in fine purple suit comes up to him, speaking something that Osmond was unable to remember, all except…

**"Live to the fullest, Osmond. Live to the fullest, age to the fullest, go bald to the fullest… and die long after I do. And if possible, die with a smile.**" Sparda said to Young Osmond.

Then,

**"****Stress makes you bald, but it's stressful to avoid stress, so you end up stressed out anyway,**  
**so in the end there's nothing you can do.****" Sparda adds, a rather small smile crosses his lips as he said this to the then Young Osmond…**

'Seriously, what is wrong with my recollection these days?' Old Osmond wondered, as most of what he remembered Sparda said was about going bald as a man ages,

'Is he a psychic or something?' he thought, as Osmond rubs his aching head, which the hairline seems to be thinning...

End of flashback…

"Dear Founder! That was the fastest I have lost my boner," Osmond groans as he ended up sitting on the floor after a near miss by Dante.

"No 'hard' feelings?" Dante apologized while smirking, holstering the gun…

"I don't mind," Osmond hobbles back to his desk, while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "And thank you for coming here at such short notice."

"Don't mention it, is it a problem?"

"Well, I'm not even sure if this one is a problem, but I have something to consult to you." Old Osmond said, stooping down to take something from under his desk.

And he places an antique box on top of the desk.

What Dante noticed first is how the box looked like.

The box frame is made of high quality polished black lacquered wood, and is studded of small jewels and gold foil, shaped to a form of an incomprehensible shape…

"Well, you can open it," Osmond urged,

Still feeling a bit hesitant for some reason, Dante opens the box, revealing a mirror carefully laid within it, reflecting Dante's rather grim visage.

"It's just a mirr…" Dante tries to speak and close the box, but stopped…

For as Dante looked at reflective surface, the image suddenly changes into sees a very familiar image…the perfect rendition of his mother's face.

Just the way Dante remembered her in his childhood. She is beautiful, tall blonde woman in a red dress. Her presence exuded grace, power and kindness to those who meet her.

Well, not everyone.

Then, the images of the last day that she was alive came to his memories.

Two figures can be seen in the darkness as the larger figure pushed the small figure into a hidden room. A storm rages outside their home as the wind howled, so much that it sounded like a cacophony of people wailing.

But it was not only the wind that could be heard howling…

There was a loud banging on the walls of mortar; it is as if some large, powerful creature seeks to invade the space within,

"Dante, no matter what you hear. Do not come out, do you hear me?"

The white haired child of eight nodded, as he shook like a leaf in fright.

"Whatever happens, remember that I will always love you, and your brother…"

The mother hugs the child.

Very tightly.

"Mom, you're hurting me."

The woman's hold relaxed, as she wiped tears from the boy's eyes as well as his face.

There was no one to protect them,

Where is his father? It has been long since he was home, so much that he actually nearly forgot what he looked like in person. Only through portraits and the stories his mother told him was he able to know what his father, the Dark Knight Sparda.

No matter how people said that Sparda had abandoned his family, Dante childishly kept the faith that he will return. He was hoping that his father will return this night, to save what remained of his family.

Like the hero that he was portrayed by his mother's stories.

'He will come,' the child wilfully wished,

Vergil was already gone.

Only two of them are left, the mother and the youngest child.

Monsters stalked and banged on the walls, doors and windows.

So far, they have not been able to come in, due to the magical wards that his mother, Eva, a powerful Umbra witch on her own right, had wrought.

"I love you." She smiled serenely, as the loud banging from the outside grew louder.

Eva pushed the child back forcefully, slamming the heavy mortar door, completely hiding her last treasure.

"Stay, safe." She whispered into the wind, hoping that her silent prayer will be heard by whoever controls Fate, drawing copies of her signature guns, Luce and Umbra.

*CLICK*

*CRASH*

Then came the thundering of his mother's guns…

That ends Dante's remembering that terrible day, as he slams his palm to the desk top, sending the box flying into the air.

"THE BOX!"

Dante, as quick as he his, instantly caught the boxed mirror with his right hand.

"What just happened?" Old Osmond asked,

"I was wondering about that myself," wondering to how this antique mirror, managed to get his near-forgotten childhood memories back into life.

／人◕ .◕人＼

Meanwhile, somewhere outside the Academy grounds, a cloaked figure bearing the sign of the reverse Roman Symbol of Gemini holds a glowing red orb in its hands…

"Ku ku ku ku, so the game begins…" it's low keyed voice laughed, as it looked intensely at the glowing orb with glee…

／人◕ .◕人＼

Back to the Academy Head's Office….

"Okay, what is this supposed to be?"

"It's something left by Sparda for as a gift to his wife Eve, I believe. So I think that these should belong to you."

As Dante looked inside the box…he saw something else other than the antique mirror…

A reflection of someone's life...

Mission 0.5 : The Executioner's Heart

(An FNC Sidestory)

／人◕ .◕人＼

Fantasy Pic: An executioner's hood and cloak, in blue, hangs by the noose of a thick rope, beside it is a gigantic, single edged, Zweihander, shaped like a giant pointed meat cleaver, with it's blunt side looking a bit too flesh colored to be made of steel… a shadow is cast on a blank wall as the androgynous figure reaches out for the hood…

／人◕ .◕人＼

Sometime in the past, way before the legendary snow-haired, crimson-coated warrior of Tristain will arrive, the year is not to be revealed…

A cloaked figure strides sombrely through the streets, with one gloved hand holding a thick chain. And at the end of the chain is a manacle clamped at the neck of a young girl.

Wearing nothing more than coarse sackcloth and with her hair clumsily cut short, in order for the executioner to have better access to the neck when dealing the final blow. Since during the last few days, many of the other beheaders, kind of failed in cutting off their victims' heads off in one stroke, making the task even more gruesome and bloodier looking than it should have been. She was pulled along rather roughly by the cloaked man.

What's so special about this execution you ask? This is due to the fact that this particular slayer/beheader has the most unmatched record of giving the cleanest and neatest beheadings that the people of this particular kingdom have seen.

One stroke is all he needed to finish the job, and he never fails to deliver.

Ever.

The scene is rather discomforting to anyone who see this strange train composed of an androgynous figure whose cloak completely hid his entirety making his identity a mystery, pulling along the fettered young lady as a prisoner and the hog-like man whose badge pinned to his left chest indicates him to be a low ranking sheriff trailing behind the two with a proud smile plastered to his face.

As if he will be doing the killing himself,

Though the fact remains, townspeople knew that the sheriff is a well-known sissy.

"Today's execution will be this girl's!" the town crier announced, indicating the bound girl,

Whispers began to pass around, each of them wondering what did the girl as young as she is to deserve this kind of punishment.

"Whatever did she do to deserve this?"

"She is a dirty prostitute who copulated with twenty married men!" the crier announces not minding the confused stares from the crowd as he announced the girl's so-called crimes,

Another stupid lie, most of the mob thought, knowing the ruling Nobles as they are, this one has been falsely accused. But then what can they do? They barely had the means to survive in their everyday dealing with their wretched lives as peasants serving the Fiefdom, where any wrong move could cause them to either lose their job, whatever little that they may own, or even their very lives, as shown with the young lady whose head is soon to be placed under the chopping block.

Sooner as the crier spoke of the accusation thus, shouts coming from the mob began to say,

"KILL THE WHORE!" someone shouts,

A paid crowd stirrer.

It didn't take long before the entire mob ended up shouting,

"KILL HER! KILL HER! KILL HER!"

To those who is currently witnessing this grim parade, the girl is about to be executed by beheading, which will be performed by the blue cloaked figure holding the other end of her chain., whose title now were said be the name of the original and first executioner of this kingdom,

Cobalt.

"Hey, hasn't there been a lot of beheadings lately?" a random peasant asks another on looking man, who seems to be a blacksmith, who replied,

"Yeah, the last weeks there were ten executions held. Most of them are sent off by Cobalt." He indicated the figure in blue pulling the prisoner.

"Oh right, this guy never ceases to amaze me. I mean, I have seen those executions; all of his victims are done in just one swing. A clean cut, every time…"

"Looks like we'll be seeing another show then?"

The blacksmith shrugs, and gestures silence and resumes to watch the group reach the center of the town square, where the stage where the prisoner is to be beheaded.

Cobalt is a mystery figure to this particular place, as he is the only thing constant in this place of inevitable change, as the old give way to the young.

It was said that the first person who was called himself Cobalt came to this kingdom, he was brought by the ruling Nobles of that time, for some 600 years ago, to work under them as the official executioner. With his unparalleled skill in killing any target the Nobles indicate, in any method of killing they order him to perform. The said persona became the kingdom's Executioner Supreme, as time passed. Until such time that the name became a title of sorts passed from one generation to the next.

Or so they say,

The strange thing to the populace and the later generation of Nobles, nobody ever saw who the man behind the iron mask is, as he was never seen in public without it and he always wearing his voluminous bright blue hooded cloak, lending to his name/title. With his cold, calculating gaze from the black eyes beneath the mask's eye slits, the only emotion that one could ever evoke from his person, ever since they could remember, nobody ever got close to him.

Nobody that were not killed seconds later,

As generations of rulers come and go, only the Master Executioner Cobalt remained almost the same, as he looked years before, the androgynous bright blue cloaked figure who kills with unerring precision. It is said that the current one is the 60th generation who inherited the title. Where the old Cobalts that came before him went, no one knows. Due to the mystery surrounding the man, many rumors rose, whispered among the pubs, homes and any other establishment where people gather talk about the mysterious executioner.

"Some say that Cobalt came from a group of assassins from Rub' Al Khali, and is masked because he has a freakishly hideous appearance," one onlooker whispered to the man beside him,

The fettered young woman was forced to kneel by the prison guards, as another covers her eyes with a blindfold, a small act of mercy for her, so as to not to see her impending doom outright.

Though the fact remains that she's still going to die,

A twisted version of a saying, "if you don't know or see it, it can't hurt you." Or something along the lines of such.

"No way, from what I heard, Cobalt was masked because he is so frightening that he might be described to be a half-troll." The other replied,

"Some say that the executioner is an elf, who was enslaved by the Nobles into servitude." A grimy innkeeper spoke in a low voice, stealing a glance at the blue cloaked executioner,

"But there is one story that said, he is actually a demon bound to servitude to the ruling Nobles." A harsh, hissing voice whispered to the gossiping group, silencing them all.

The subject on demons, are a frightening thing to just randomly talk about. Even for the uneducated charlatans that they are, they knew that it is a dangerous subject.

What also added to their fright is that there is no one present when they turned around to see who just spoke behind them. Suddenly, the heavy feeling of something present assaults their senses. Only their ignorance kept them from realizing just exactly are they feeling.

There are times that stupidity can be a great thing, sparing the fools from actually knowing that terrible things actually exist with them in this world.

And is now currently among them.

Tensely, the group broke off and went mingling with the crowd, just to get away from that otherworldly presence…and just watch the execution unfold…

On the subject of Cobalt, he remained tight-lipped to anyone who asked of his origins, and the reason for his current work. The only thing he says is,

"I am here, I am alive, and I kill as commanded. That is all that is important."

In an accent of speech that seems to be not of this world.

／人◕ .◕人＼

Let's turn back the clock a few hours or so back, just because I said so.

The night before the execution, Cobalt spent his time on rooftops, keeping himself out of sight as he always did for only God knows how long. Taking notes and observing the activities and lives of the peasants in the wee hours of the night, for reasons, even he does not understand.

He has seen a lot of things occur in the street, that the Nobles on the top, has no idea of.

The dingy state of the peasantry, their homes, their food, and even their lives are never noticed by the ones at the higher hierarchy. They just don't give a damn, as long as the peasants work, and provide the necessities the Nobles would need. Food for their mouths, wine for their gullets, fine clothing, and finally gold and other precious items to line their pockets to name a few.

But then again there are other things…darker things that some of the so-called Nobles of the society require of the helpless peasants…

What a selfish world this place is.

Maybe that's the reason that there are times great plagues, and other natural calamities occur in many places as of late, so much that even the magic that the Nobles wielded over the powerless peasants were no match to.

Observing the plebians in their natural habitat is the reprieve he has in the long time he served in this place…

What Cobalt is doing is similar to a naturalist observing animals in the wild.

Clutching the locket with a small portrait of a pink-haired woman, in a red sundress, whose name he may have or have not known, but his feelings toward her is something akin to what most people said to be love…

Well, as he had observed from folks he's been around with for years, without their prior knowledge.

As far as he remembered, he never felt any emotions at all, just emptiness and a sense of loss, though he has no idea what could it be which he lost…

Shrugging the seemingly unfamiliar thoughts to the winds, Cobalt once more hides the locket…

It's about time to see the latest one to be put on the chopping board…

At the _reception hall_ to the dungeons, the pudgy hog-sheriff is sifting through piles of documents…

So much to do, so little time, and the compensation is rather lousy… but this is a job he intends to stick to.

Well, until he gets promoted anyway…

As if by chance, the sheriff glances at the closed door, to see the blue cloaked figure silently standing there, waiting for orders.

"Would you please stop doing that? It scares me." The sheriff berated aloud, clutching his heart due to the surprise.

'Dammit, he moves like a ghost…How the Founder does he do that?'

"Why thank you. As requested, I'm here for the measurement of the prisoner's neck." Cobalt coldly replied, his unseen eyes, scanning the sheriff, giving off the feeling to the pudgy Noble an impression that he's facing an ancient alien creature, staring deeply into his soul…

Swallowing his saliva, the sheriff actually took courage and hands a ring of keys to Cobalt, who looked at the keys, then to the Noble.

"Alright, as you can see, I'm rather busy, you go and do it." The sheriff orders, using all the courage he could muster, hanging on to his rank for dear life as he orders this monster of a man to do what he's supposed to be doing...

"As you wish…" the executioner in blue said, walking or rather, stalking off down into the dungeons…

'Just what is he?' the sheriff asks himself.

As if his subconscious would know…

／人◕ .◕人＼

Walking down the stone winding stairs, Cobalt casually walks down, with a torch in one hand, though he actually has no need for it.

It seems that he can see in the dark for some reason, but carried torches whenever he navigates the dungeons for formality.

He doesn't want any unnecessary kills among the bastards roaming around the darkness of the prison that he might have the unfortunate time to meet with…

／人◕ .◕人＼

Various sounds can be heard throughout the dungeon,

The crying of sadness, despair, fear and a lot of other emotions washed all over Cobalt's sharp senses like a wave. By this time, he's pretty much used to the atmosphere of this place.

But among the sounds, there's something that caught his interest,

"SHUT UP!" a gruff man's voice growled,

"Mmmff.."

"STOP CRYING SO MUCH" the man said again,

"….."

"Quit, Struggling. We're gonna give you a good time before you leave this world." Another man's voice chimed, sounding a lot more lewd,

Muffled cries can be heard in response to the taunts.

"Heh, heh, heh, You should be grateful we're even doing this for you." The first voice panted, he seems to be doing something that exerts him,

"Are you sure were supposed to do this to a prisoner?" a young man's voice nervously asked,

"If you're not gonna join us, then just stand over there and shut up." The second voice retorts,

Sounds of shuffling feet can be heard,

As he approached closer to his destination, Cobalt hears another sound even more clearly this time confirming his suspicions,

Cries that plead,

Cries that denote despair and helplessness,

Cries that could send a lot of questions rushing to anyone who is not familiar with the society at large.

Cries that belong to a young girl's…

'What is a girl doing in a place like this?' Cobalt wondered, as he noiselessly glided through the dungeon halls…

He's the one to ask, though he knew that there are instances that these things happen.

"Oh come on lass, don't give me that 'I don't want to do this,' line. You are a whore, I know you like this." A familiar raspy voice of a prison guard rang in the silence of the dungeons, followed by unmistakable sounds of a body, no, bodies slapping wetly against another.

Then came the whimpers of the girl, then as if something was shoved down her mouth, the whimpers turned to muffled cries as the sounds of abuse rang through the dungeon…Cobalt has seen and heard these scenes over and over again lately in the dungeons.

But this is not the place to incarcerate the females. But Nobles, including their dogs, can bend the rules, as long as the reigning monarchy won't notice.

Ah, the loopholes of this society is glaringly visible, as one might reflect on things.

Cobalt felt something deep within him ignite. Something rather alien to him, making him feel like just rushing in there and do something. But as a professional killer that he currently is, he respected the freedom of his…co-workers…

'Strange. I've been seeing these things all my life. Yet for some reason, this particular event affects me?' the blue executor thought, approaching the source of the indecent noises…

It doesn't take an experienced man to know what is going on…

To those who haven't seen or heard personally on what is being described, please don't ask further, or risk broken innocence. XD

Besides, it's too embarrassing to bluntly state.

The moans of men can now be heard Cobalt glides even closer, covering what was left of the cries of the tormented girl,

'Men and their lusts. Can't these guys do stuff like this after work?' Cobalt thought, ironically being a man himself (or is he even human?) with his left metal gloved hand unconsciously clenched into a fist, as it slightly glowed in a weak, soft blue light, then paused as he wondered where that train of thought came from, as he waited for them to stop… as it seemed that the sounds he was currently hearing come from the cell that's his supposed destination,

'It has nothing to do with me.'

'_But I must do something' _a voice from within him screamed at the brooding cloaked figure…

And for some reason, the voice was his.

Yet, he adhered to what he believed to be right, and so he waited,

And waited.

The moans gradually make way into pants of exhaustion,

The girl continued to sob softly, seemingly exhausted as well.

／人◕ .◕人＼

After a while, three prison guards leave that cell,

"That was a rather good lay, wasn't it?" the tall, swarthy man said, clapping a hand into the guard right next to him, a pudgy middle-aged, pig faced man

"Aye, too bad this is the last time we're gonna do her though." The other guard said,

"No matter, there are still others…"

"B-but, is it right of you guys to do that? I mean..." the third guard nervously asked, a blonde new recruit, but the rest of his statement was suddenly choked… as he felt something brush against him.

"W-who goes there?" the panicked guard challenged, feeling a cold presence in their immediate vicinity, drawing his sword, as the torchlight revealed a blue cloaked figure right in front of them, silently standing there, watching them like a malevolent cloaked gargoyle.

"Relax newbie, that's Cobalt, " the pig-faced guard soothed the young man, then suddenly pushing the young guard stumbling closer to the executioner's scrutiny,

He's young, possibly a Noble fresh out from his education. With the way he wore his helm, strands of fine yet messy blonde hair spilled forth, further telling him of the boy's lineage, with the way he wore the chain mail looking a bit loose, telling the executioner that this one is still a greenhorn. The young guard clumsily introduced himself,

"Um, I'm L'amour la de Gramont," the handsome young guard nervously stretched a hand,

'Polite too, this boy will be going places, that'll do for now. If he ever manages to survive this place, that is…'

Cobalt gives a silent nod and proceeds to pass through the silenced guards, leaving the young guard agape at the action,

Seconds later the newbie then said as he stared at the Cobalt as he disappeared into the cell,

"Looks like he approves of you," the first guard comments, clapping a congratulatory hand to the young man's shoulder,

"Just what is that man? I can't even feel his presence." De Gramont asked,

"It's just how he is kid, you'll get used to it." The old guards simultaneously assured him,

／人◕ .◕人＼

In this business of beheading people, sending people off to the afterlife, one has to think twice of interacting with people like him. It is a position in society that requires one to avoid the eyes of the people and walk, or rather stalk in the shadows.

Just the way he liked it.

Cobalt is now in front of the barred cell. As he looked for the correct key to the bars, he could hear the soft sobbing coming from the darkness of the room.

'So I'll be slaying this one huh?' he thought,

Cobalt in his entire tenure in this job has killed many people, of either gender, in a lot of unmentionable ways. But recently, they have been satisfied by just beheading them.

Not that he cared anyway; he just did what he was told,

Just like a dog waiting for his master to order it to go fetch his slippers or something,

With his enhanced vision, Cobalt could see a rather small figure curled up in a ball in the corner.

The figure in the darkness stirred and quickly sits up as she sensed his presence, along with the light from his torch.

"Wh-who are you!?" she demands, as she tries to cover up herself with her arms and hands with varying level of success.

The girl seems be hardly out of her teens, judging from her body size and face. The longer he looked at the girl, the more he thought of her as quite a lovely sight with the curves just right in the correct places. Should the circumstances were kinder to her; she might have looked like such that one would say that she's a Noble of descent.

But then again, it is a cruel world out there. With the Black plague menacing the countryside sometime ago, the severe droughts, followed by the bitter winters. Even just getting through the day unscathed is a challenge for the peasantry. One could say; this might be one of those times what knowledgeable people would call the Dark Ages. But Cobalt could wonder, why is he thinking of things like thiese? Is it because the one that he'll be killing the following morning is a young girl? Is it the bright almond shaped eyes of amber of hers, or the flowing strawberry blonde hair, and the rather diminutive stature of this person that made him thinking of other things than who will he be killing the next time.

For the first time in his recent memory, Cobalt was confused. Taking a deep breath of the dank prison air, without allowing the frightened girl to notice, and said,

"I'm the executioner," Cobalt announced in a voice devoid of emotion, "I was chosen to take off your head tomorrow."

_'Time to get to work.' _The assassin thought, as he walked closer to the girl, who showed absolutely no fear from his advance, and just remained on her knees as she waited for her would-be-killer the following morning.

Either she has nerves of steel developed from a long time of receiving abuse, or she's just resigned to her fate. Cobalt couldn't help but be slightly amazed at the way she stayed still, considering that she's practically naked, as the day she was unfortunately born in to this cruel world.

Taking out a calliper (a measuring device), a quill and parchment, Cobalt proceeds to do what he's here for. To measure the neck of the one he'll be killing by the morning. Though to b honest, Cobalt doesn't need to do so, as he can easily cut off the head of the most thick-necked man in the kingdom with just one stroke of his cleaver, a gigantic blade that only he can wield with such finesse and power, the likes the kingdom has never seen before. So he's doing this out of habit and for the recording. Not to mention, to make sure that the prisoner is still in prison the night before the beheading of the condemned.

"..."

／人◕ .◕人＼

He has seen a lot of prisoners in his time, so he has experienced and seen first hand the different emotions from ones who knew that they're be living their last day on this world. Anger, rage, sadness, despair, and resignation to mention some of them, and a few of them have gone mad at the realization of their impending doom. But some reason, this one is surprisingly calm for girl as young as she is.

Reminds him of himself after having experienced something that shook his soul, but then again, he still wondered, what it was. He just can't remember.

"You can let it down now." Cobalt said, after jotting the measurements on to the parchment.

What surprised him is the tone of his voice; it seemed to project, for lack of better word,

Emotion.

Though it looked like that the girl didn't notice it.

After a closer look at the girl, Cobalt thought, 'Looks like her bone is a lot more sturdy than I thought it was. Not that it can stop me from performing the usual.'

Then he proceeds to do the next task as he thought absently, 'She might have had a better upbringing than most of these people have guessed.'

Then he heard the girl sobbing softly, though he made no effort to turn around from where he crouched, holding a wash cloth and putting it into a nearby wooden bucket of water…

"I'm really am about to die, right…?" she finally spoke after a while, as tears began to flow from her eyes, Cobalt remained silent as he ponderously washed the cloth for some reason.

And so began her emotions come pouring out, "I knew it. I did a lot of bad things. But… but…"

Before she could speak further, Cobalt finally spoke, this time in a voice he never thought he'll be using, an honest, and heartfelt gentle voice, "It is said that if you receive your punishment wholeheartedly, your sins will be forgiven."

Surprisingly, as the executioner said that, he was carefully wiping the tears and dirt from the girl's stained face. For a killer to do these things is really strange…

" D-do you believe it?" she girl asked, feeling the cool wet fabric caress her face, giving a slight feel of comfort in this place of utter despair.

The hooded executioner shrugged beneath the folds of his cloak, as he returned the cloth to the bucket to wash it again, "Who knows, but it's a rather comforting thought isn't it?"

The girl smiled slightly in all while, "You're right."

Cobalt hasn't been talking to anyone this much in years, and he's wondering why is he opening up to a person that he's about to kill the following day. Well, slightly opening up, like a small crack at the window.

Must be due to that they might have experienced similar situations…Maybe…

"But I believe there is a better place than this." Cobalt said as he wiped the girl's face clean with the wet washcloth, "You'll be going to that place, a few hours from now. We'll at least get you cleaned up, or they'll chase you out, if you ever go there in your dirty state.

True enough, after what she had just gone through just moments ago, she really has gotten dirty. No Pun intended.

A moment of silence passed by before the girl asked the blue cloaked man, "You mean, I can become clean too?"

An earnest nod answered her question, and that was enough for her…

In the few minutes, Cobalt was diligently cleaning her whole naked body, with such care and gentleness, making her feel like her soul is being cleaned along with her physical person.

I do mean everything.

"Hee hee hee," the girl giggles, making Cobalt look up from his task,

"What is it?" he quizzically asked,

"With the way you treat me, I feel like a princess."

Cobalt sighs, as the girl began to make play around, much like a person of high regard,

"Thou hast pleased me." She giggled,

Seriously, Ye Olde Englishe,

"Do stop moving about," Cobalt pleas, as he takes hold of the arm of the girl.

Now that he has nearly finished cleaning the girl, he once again proved himself that he's right as he looked at the prisoner after his diligent, uh, care…

She is lovely.

Any arguments to say otherwise by anyone ARE invalid.

／人◕ .◕人＼

"This might be the first time I've been treated so gently…" the girl finally said, as she sat on a clean sheet provided by Cobalt, as she had her back on the cold dungeon wall.

But for some reason, she doesn't feel the cruelness of the place which she felt before…

Maybe it's because of this man hidden beneath the voluminous folds of blue cloak has shown her that there are still some people that care…

Cobalt on the other hand has been wondering what the heck he has been doing…

Usually, after taking measurements, he quickly takes his leave, leaving the prisoner alone until he returns to take them to the town square to be executed.

'Strange, indeed…' the blue executioner thought, as he cleaned the wash cloth, planning to leave afterwards…

"I'm just doing my job." Cobalt admonished the praise,

Just as he was about to leave, Cobalt felt a slight weight on his back, as the girl hugs him from behind,

"You know, if I met someone like you sooner I might have…" she said as she pressed herself closer to Cobalt's rather small, androgynous yet powerful body.

"Please, stay with me for the night…"

"…" the assassin / executioner is at a loss for words as she asked him something that he would never expect for a girl to say to a person such as him.

／人◕ .◕人＼

And so Cobalt ended up sleeping with her, (Not that kind, you perverted fools!) with her small naked fragile body comfortably snuggled within the folds of his bright blue cloak, with her hugging him tight. As she told him the circumstances that led her to the chopping block,

It is a story of a certain girl who had been the object of a certain high ranking person's lust. Being forcibly taken away from her home, her family, and everything that she was familiar to and finally, a series of mind breaking events and things leading the girl into the most hellish life she had ever experienced. To the point that the story got so twisted that it became with her as the one in the wrong.

There's no need to elaborate, in respect to her situation and her impending end.

／人◕ .◕人＼

Morning came…

"I have a favour to ask of you…" the girl asked, as Cobalt took the moment to cut off her hair with a sharp knife, so as not to be of hindrance to the cut he'll be doing…

Odd as this scene is, Cobalt kept wondering if this person within him is making him do this.

Is this caring person, his true face?

"Tell me what it is." Cobalt replied,

"Please cut my neck off with one swing. I don't want to suffer anymore."

"…"

"Please?"

A curt nod was his reply to the request.

It's time to get this done, as the executioner resurfaces.

／人◕ .◕人＼

Fast forward a few hours later…the town's square.

The important characters have gathered in the center of the stage, as the crowd of peasants, and other citizens gathered around. Another life will be taken in the name of the so-called-justice. Another name for the ruling class' way of dealing with people who either get in their way, or refuse to bow down to their whims.

To the onlookers, they wonder what this ridiculously young girl did for her to go under the blade.

No matter what the accusation is, one could easily see that there has to be some mistake.

But no one has the courage to speak out.

Obviously, they know that if they did, they might find themselves lining up to have their heads cut off by the blue executioner himself.

Then suddenly, the normally statuesque cloaked man did the unthinkable.

He actually took the time to walk to face the prisoner,

The job of an executioner is to guide tainted souls to a better place,

Which is one of the reasons, he took on this task as he waited for the winds of fate to change…

Maybe to wash away his own past sins as well.

What the executioner said to the girl, we will not reveal.

The girl replied to him, "Don't be silly. I'd rather die…"

"Very well," Cobalt said, as he takes the strangely designed, single bladed Zweihander from the weapon rack. That is shaped very much like a meat cleaver, which is twice larger than him; a killing tool which only he can wield with incredible ease. This is the blue executioner's favourite killing tool, the thing that he has been using that enabled him to perform all of his decapitations with absolute precision. But there is something about the weapon sends the chills to those who behold it. It is as if one is staring at a living creature, ready to pounce and maim them, within a moments notice….

Without another word, the blue cloaked beheader strikes.

He hears the girl whisper something before the blade connects…

Then,

A blindfolded head rolls…to the waiting basket.

And innocent blood has been spilled.

He had no choice in the matter as he is duty bound to the fiefdom; unless someone tells him stop his tenure.

Then the realization struck him, someone actually did.

"I love thee, so please be free." Were the last words she spoke, before the blade instantly cut off her life.

／人◕ .◕人＼

Those words were enough for Cobalt to finally end his long term of service to this kingdom.

With a hefty amount of money secured in a satchel to get him underway, he starts to hit the road.

He suddenly stops in the middle of the road, looking as if he forgot something,

Then, he slowly removed the mask that kept him bound to servitude as the hound of that particular kingdom, revealing a young man's face that looked nothing like the rest of the people in Halkeginia…

Except maybe some people who live in Tarbes…

The man shakes his head with his black hair waving freely with the warm breeze, now free from the confines of the iron mask, breathed deeply, as he threw the mask up into the air, and with a gesture of his hands, numerous ethereal blades suddenly appeared and practically destroyed the symbol of his tenure to bits of powdery metal.

He's now prepared to leave this kingdom.

But not after he paid a little visit to a certain marquis who caused a life of suffering to the only person who he ever got close in just one night, in all these years he stayed there,

／人◕ .◕人＼

A few hours later,

"They'll be having a hard time finding every part of his body that I carefully strewn throughout the city." He said to himself, balancing the gigantic cleaver, covered with an extremely thick cloth to conceal what it was now.

'They should be at least be grateful that you actually left the head intact, and beautifully skewered in the square for the whole town to see and know who it is. And after what you did, they'll certainly think twice before following you.' A telepathic voice spoke to him, in a voice that is clearly dripping with malice.

'I like your style partner. And it looks like this is the beginning of a beautiful partnership.' The harsh voice continued while it laughed demonically,

The said voice is coming from the gigantic sword.

An awakened Devil Arm, now active due to the innocent blood that it consumed.

From the girl Cobalt has executed the day before.

Meet Dainsleif, the demonic sword who grants its chosen master infinite possibility for torture, maiming and of course, murder.

It seemed that Cobalt's master's plan had worked with the blood of the girl, the magical seals placed on the cursed blade is now broken; now he has the weapon he needs to fulfil his mission.

Whatever his mission is, he is hell-bent to see it through to the end.

Cobalt remained silent as he walked forwards, with a new found, something…

"Cobalt, it is time for you to return to us…the time is nigh to reform the ranks." another voice summons Cobalt, as the billow of unnaturally colored smoke approaches the cloaked former executioner, this particular voice however, unlike the cursed blade's, carries an authority so absolute that a lesser man would go down to his knees in fear and respect.

"By your will, I shall follow." Cobalt coldly replies, casting once more what small shade of humanity that he might have gained the night before. He won't be needing it, wherever it is he will be going. Resuming his assassin persona, Cobalt prepares to finally depart.

'This world needs to be recreated, and I will make sure of it, and then I shall see her once again.' Cobalt thought as he disappears into the ether.

"My Dearest Louise…please wait for me." The lingering voice whispered, as the sun goes down in the horizon.

As the time of reckoning for the world called Halkeginia will be arriving soon.

(Curtain closes)

／人◕ .◕人＼

Author's corner:

By this time with the clues I placed here will enable you guys to discern who this guy is...

Or is this a rather confusing thing again?

Then again, is this guy really who you think he is?

If you managed to read this far, thanks a bunch.

This is a rather dark setting for my liking as well. But it must be told…

Don't you guys worry though, I will shift back to regular humor as I try to sort through the mess I have with my life…

Been a while, I still haven't found my luck on the job seeking, so I passed the time reading various books from the stuff I collected all these years, and what do you know? I managed t find one of my all-time fave collecton of stories of Conan of Cimmeria, written by the coolest author I have read on fantasy, adventure and horror. Mr. Robert E. Howard, and actually draw inspiration from him as I wrote this little side story, as a sort of homage to writers like him. XD

Like it or hate it, there's no pleasing all of the people so, I just do what I do and have fun with it.

If you like this, read on. If not, FLOCK OFF! XD

Zaberfang signing off…for now at least… XD

See you next chapter,

Anyone who can guess what the next chapter is about would be?

Coz I sure don't. XD

I'm open for any suggestions, just PM me... XD

Please Review


	2. Mission 2: A Doting Parent

Hello everyone, been a long time… though I must say that my current status in life is somewhat… never mind… I'm still in the process of fixing a rather stupid mess… and frankly, I am not progressing at all..sigh… thus I might be not be able to write in full force just yet,

I need a better paying job…

A pipe dream,

Dammit, why am I this financially challenged?

Sigh…

So sorry about that…XD

But for a while at least, let me entertain you with what I manage to put together.

( •_•)

(⌐■_■)  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Currently : Brain Storming!

ヽ｀ヽ｀、. ｀｀、ヽ｀ 、 ヽ｀、 ヽ｀、 ｀｀、｀ヽ｀、ヽヽヽ、 ヽ ｀ヽ｀｀、ヽ｀｀、 ヽ｀、ヽ、ヽ｀ ヽ、、ヽ｀、、ヽ｀、.｀ـ 、ヽ｀ 、、ヽ｀｀ 、ヽ｀ヽ、、ヽ｀ヽ ｀、ヽ、 ｀｀、ヽ｀、、｀｀、ヽ｀｀ ｀、ヽ、、ヽ、｀｀、ヽ、、ヽ、 ヽ、 、ヽ｀｀ 、ヽ、、ヽ｀ヽ｀｀ 、 ヽヽ、ヽ、、ヽヽ、ヽ｀、 ｀｀、｀ヽ｀、ヽヽヽ、 ヽ ｀ヽ｀ヽヽ、ヽ、、ヽヽ、ヽ｀、 ｀｀、｀ヽ｀、ヽヽヽ、 ヽ ｀ヽ｀｀、ヽヽヽ、 ヽ ｀ヽ

As I have watched the live action Ranma ½ just for the heck of it, I seem to forget that the FOZ characters have family members that were not mentioned in the Anime, thus without ado, with your permission,

Allow me to go nuts even for just a moment... XD

／人◕ .◕人＼

Fantasy pic: Siesta is in a sexy black sleeveless, French Maid Uniform, exposing the a bit more skin than supposed to, looking shy...

But she in her right hand, a large matchlock gun is aimed at the viewers.

With her seductive eyes glowing electric blue?

／人◕ .◕人＼

Mission 2: A Doting Parent, Siesta's Problem & an Invitation.

So we begin this episode by looking at our favourite maid Siesta… (Well, the author's favourite, and if anyone complains… I will punch them in the throat! XD)

Somewhere in the flowerfields of Tarbes

"D- Dante-san, this may be sudden. But will you please accept me, the me at the moment, and henceforth."

Another bold move from our favourite maid…

The devil hunter looked into her eyes, as he tries to appeal to her through his gaze.

She's not backing down, holding on to him a lot stronger than ever.

'Just where is her strength coming from?'

Yup, looks like he won't be doing any escapes here.

Seeing that Dante is no longer resisting, Siesta then looked deeply into his eyes of deep blue.

To those who don't know the devil hunter, those eyes are cold like the Antarctic ice.

To Siesta, those are the eyes of the warmest person she had ever seen.

Her friend.

Her Savior.

Her Love.

Her True Love.

This is how the maid views the devil hunter.

Silently, she continued to regard Dante's countenance, gently tracing his cheek with her hands.

She then puts her arms around his neck, pulling herself towards him even closer.

A kiss.

A rather chaste kiss.

"I…love…You.." Siesta breathes after the kiss…

Siesta tilted her head slightly, and then once more pressed her lips against Dante's.

This time however, it was a primal, passionate, clumsy kiss.

She held the devil hunter's head tightly as their lips pressed together.

"Mmm… mmh… mhh.."

Their long, long, kiss continued; it is as if as the two melted together.

When Siesta finally separated, Siesta let out a sweet, sweet sigh.

Dante could see her eyes glittering with the fire of passion in the light of the setting sun.

"Dante-san…"

"Siesta…"

Dante holds the maid tightly.

The maid sighs at the warmth of her man.

"Ahh…"

A bead of sweat trickles down her neck…

To the devil hunter, she smelled so sweet.

It was almost as though her body was inviting him…

No one here to stop him from doing so…

He kissed her lightly along her neck, up her earlobe.

"Ahh…Guhh…Mmmmhh…" Siesta moans, holding on to Dante.

"N-no… not there…" she tries to say,

But Dante knows that she likes it.

She really, really likes it.

Dante tries to humor her and asks, "Hmm…Why not?"

"Because…" Siesta Looked away from him. Her cheeks were red.

Dante sighs deeply as he ran his tongue along her neck…

"No! Ahh… mmm…"

Dante pauses,

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked,

Siesta looks down at Dante, looking a bit pissed off,

She's so cute…when pouting like that…

"Ahh… please don't…mmm…" Siesta wasn't able to end her response as Dante once more played his tongue along her neck…

Dante could catch a glimpse of her breasts through the neck of her dress…

Dante slowly reached toward her chest.

Siesta gasps,

Dante's in a bit of a fix, as he couldn't control himself at the moment…

He gently lifted up the front of her shirt, exposing her breasts.

Her skin was just as he remembered it, though at that moment, it was flushed pink, in shame…and arousal…

Yeah, you read it right, AROUSAL.

And, it looks a lot sexier…

What will I give to get into Dante's place right now…

Siesta's breath becomes a bit excited…

Dante held her breasts in the palms of his hands…

The rather new sensation made her shiver slightly.

To the devil hunter, her breasts were so hot that he could almost imagine that his hands would burn.

This is one of the few times that Dante would show his sensitive side…

Though at the moment, the maid is quite sensitive as well.

In more ways than one.

'They were so soft and warm. They felt so good to touch' Dante thought,

(Dammit I wanna feel that too…)

"Mmm… that's feels good… aaahhh."

Siesta breathed deeply, every time his fingertips gently squeed her breasts, at the same time, he played with her earlobe with his mouth.

He could feel her nipples hardening under his 'magic touch'.

Siesta moans in pleasure,

Dante then stops teasing her earlobes, gently pinching and rolled her little pink buds between his fingers…

"Ahhh… ahhh…"

"Siesta… please lie here…" Dante indicated to a large piece of red cloth that suddenly appears on the grass.

(Point of no return…)

Siesta walked, a bit excited, and partially scared; but entirely ready for what may come next...

"This is … kind of embarrassing."

Siesta looked at Dante as she laid her body on the cloth covered grass.

Dante gently smiles as he follows her.

He gives her another kiss.

At the same time, he lifts up her skirt…

"Hmm?"

"W-What's wrong?" Siesta asks,

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" the devil hunter asks one last time.

"Y-yes, I want you…" Siesta blushed even more deeply,

"…So please, do whatever you want with me."

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAA!"

A girlish squeal of delight emanates from a certain room... A

A blushing Siesta rouses out of her bed…

"Ah, it's only a dream after all," she murmured as she puts her hand on her brightly blushing cheek.

(Cockblocked! uehhehehehehehehe)

"Yet, it felt so real…" she adds as an overwhelming wave of pleasure, probably a psychological aftershock of her dreams, of that memorable first time with her love, Dante.

She wanted to do it with him again…

This time, she studied…

Ah, she's already excited for round two...

"KYAAAAAAAAAAA!" she lets out another squeal as she tightly hugged her pillow, savouring that feeling…

Minutes later, Siesta spent her time dressing up for work, and as she did, she noticed that as of late:

It seems that there have been changes in her body, as she seems to have grown pretty finer in many places, filling out her maid uniform very nicely…

I do mean a LOT.

To the point that the male populace of the Academy can't help but watch her with admiration, some love…and many, lust…

Admittedly, most just plain lust after her.

But who can blame them?

I sure love Siesta as well…

Oops, forgot I was supposed to be chronicling this one…

Well anyway, there are other things that changed with her as well…

Stay Tuned and see what that is…

…

／人◕ .◕人＼

Next stop is the Tristain Magic Academy Library, where we see Dante and Louise lounging around.

Well, more like Dante is the one doing the lounging.

"Okay, so why are we here?" Dante asks, as he further inspects the Antique Mirror that was supposed to be Sparda's gift to his wife.

"I was given the task to present an introduction report regarding different flora and fauna of the Tristain by Madame Febreuse," Louise said as she pored diligently from the numerous large, opened tomes and jutting down notes to the parchment,

Louise before Dante came along, devoted herself to studying magic and the related lore. At least in the academic side of the Magic Education she'll be able to at least succeed.

Currently, since she's been able to use magic rather properly, she strove even harder to learn as much magic as she can to be able to be of equal standing with her summoned being,

Though as a chronicler, I'm not that sure if she'll be able to be able to go through with her resolve at the moment.

'Looks like she's working harder than ever,' Dante thought as he looked on the mini-mage at work, whilst he himself studied the Mirror.

According to Osmond, the Dark Knight Sparda was on his way home bearing the gift after completing his Devil clearing patrols, when suddenly he was transported somehow to Halkeginia. As he went travelling in his search for the way home, he eventually met the Founder and the familiars, and the rest is history (and that tale is another story all in itself.).

Turning the mirror to see its back, Dante admired the beautifully laminated woodwork, its looks complemented by the various colored jewels studding the mirror's back, in a shape depicting a multicoloured Monarch Butterfly, beneath it is an inscription : "For My Beloved Eva."

Followed by the name just below the dedication,

"Sparda"

'Not much of a romantic poet, for a person known as the Dark Knight… but then again…its probably best said this way.'

Inspecting further, Dante found that below the handle of the mirror are a pair of symbols; Umbra Clan symbol, his mother's affiliation and the other, recently placed on it is Sparda's insignia.

"Another Umbra relic," Dante murmurs, rubbing his chin and scanned the item, he found out that there is a large amount of Magic presently sealed within the mirror.

"Sparda must have used his seal here to ensure that the power within this thing won't be used by just anyone."

That might be the reason why Dante was treated to that little flashback.

Looking up from investigating the item at hand, Dante realized that he's not in the Library anymore…

Floating in the white space that is 'that person's' domain.

A tinkling voice laughs as a familiar figure appears in front of him.

Dante inspected his person.

Good, he's still wearing his clothes at the moment.

At least he's not facing this dimensional being buck-naked this time around.

Dante shakes his head as he regarded the newcomer, "I was wondering when you'd show yourself."

"Why? Did you miss Lil' old me?" the veiled woman cooed, speaking in an obvious British Accent,

As Dante now could clearly see the silhouette of his mysterious benefactor of sorts, he could slightly make out that the woman wears glasses,

"With a Statuesque beauty like you, who wouldn't?" Dante replied, half-sarcastically. "Do you mind we talk without you hiding your face?"

His comment/request was only answered by a Noble woman's laugh,

"Oh ho ho ho ho, just like your father, you also disliked masks. Truth be told, as much as I wished to. I cannot show my face to anyone. Not yet anyway. But this I can say much, I'm really on your side."

'Says the lady who hides her face behind a shower curtain.' Dante thought, then he spoke aloud.

" What's with the veil anyway? Are you obscenely, hideously ugly or something?"

The entire space suddenly explodes in bright golden light, as the space reflected the spite of the veiled woman's,

The veiled woman stamps her feet in indignation as she replied with a booming voice,

"I'M NOT **UGLY**!"

"UGLY."

"UGLY."

"UGLY."

Her rebuttal echoed throughout the space that they're in. Though as if the entire fabricated space itself joined Dante in mocking the lady, the 'Ugly' seemed to be a bit too clear to be an echo.

The white garbed woman gestures the sound to silence, though it made her look more like a petulant child demanding for the bullying to stop.

Seconds after the outburst, the veiled woman realized that the devil hunter is just…

"Geez, madam, I was just joking." She heard the entrancing voice of the devil hunter said, amidst the now dying echoes of her shout…

The echo, along with her temper, fades away, as she recollects her slightly frayed pride. The last one who actually managed to rile her like this was Sparda himself.

At last the light dimmed, and she's surprised to find Dante serenely remained standing his ground, as he removed his hands from his ears.

And he's wearing dark sunglasses,

Dante shrugged, while doing his best not to smirk at the reaction of the mistress of this pocket dimension.

"Excuse me a moment, the veiled woman said, turning around,

As she did, she clenched her fists, so much that even Dante heard the cracking of her knuckles as she thought, 'If you guys weren't so cute, I would have torched you right here and then.'

Well and that she made a promise to someone to safeguard Sparda and his family. And she always keeps her promises.

Tried to anyway…

Dante just smirked at the display of anger by the Veiled Woman,

Ok, this is getting tiresome, how about we name this babe "Veil" for now?

'Score one for me,' He thought,

Then she quickly turns around and said cheerily, "Okay, now just listen to what I'm about to say,"

"At least call me a Miss."

"Uhh… Are you sure about that? I mean, I think you missed the point that-"

**"ARE YOU IMPLICATING THAT I'M OLD?"**

'Ah, she got me there…' Dante thought, trying to suppress a laugh.

'Well, to be honest, if someone had direct contact with the Legendary Sparda, the Founder and company, that would be inevitable.' Dante reflected, keeping a rather straight face.

Since you know, the events involving the said warrior, happened millennia ago,

Then he said aloud, "Well, I suppose we should quit with the pithy jokes and get down to business."

"My thoughts exactly. Anyway, this is why I summoned you here…"

／人◕ .◕人＼

A lightly dazed Dante reappears in the Library, as time resumes its pace.

According to the Veil, the Umbra Mirror contains some of the memories of powerful Umbra witches, though it deemed quite unnecessary at the moment, considering the only one with the Umbra Blood is Siesta.

And it has the power to unseal hidden potentials to those bearing the blood of an Umbra witch.

The Veiled Lady advised Dante to hand Siesta the mirror at once, in order for her powers to awaken.

As appealing as it sounds to have someone powerful enough to help out with the current situation, Dante is a bit unsure of how Siesta might react, as he hadn't exactly mentioned how the cute maid was connected to the once feared, powerful race of witches.

From Earth.

Then again, knowing the nature of the young maid, she'll just take the news in stride.

And might pose as a problem considering that the maid might get herself into trouble with her newfound powers,

On the other hand, the Veil also warned him of the movements of the Organization hidden in the shadows.

They are up to something,

Elsewhere…

The subject of earlier discussion has been having trouble with her situation as…

CRASH!

A door to her room was removed from its hinges when Siesta tries to open it,

"…"

A bell rings; a maid is needed in the kitchen,

She quickly hurried to the kitchen,

WHOOOOSH!

With unbelievable speed…

"…."

Okay, enough with the teaser…let's return to the Academy Library.

As Dante recovered his vision, he was amazed at what he saw….

Piles upon piles of books surround Louise in such a manner that it eventually turned into a prison of books…

"How the heck did you get yourself into that?" Dante sighed, absently picking up a fallen tome, scanning it. Entitled "The Halkeginia Journals", it is a collection of various newsletters from different kingdoms spanning from the early years of Halkeginia to the present. A lot of it were written by independent, so-called newsmen, these things were handwritten in numbers, usually distributed to the select Nobles, a both a form of entertainment and a source of information.

After the invention of their version of the Movable Type Printing Presses and a better way to produce parchment papers, these 'News Papers' began to be distributed even to the Plebeians, provided that they can pay the subscription fees of course.

Though the truth contained within it could be a bit shady at times as to the source. Though to be fair, some stories recently written by them are true.

Dante has earlier read their recent newsletters, mostly about the recent botched invasion by the Reconquista –controlled Albion at Tarbes, and the crowning of Princess Henrietta. But there are some stories are quite outlandish, such as the existence of a huge menagerie of strange, beautiful monsters, whose diet mainly consists of human male semen and sometimes the whole male.

Talk about Man-Eaters…

They are said to inhabit a mysterious, unexplored floating Archipelago that wanders around Halkegenia.

According to the said article, there are reports that some of these creatures are living off somewhere in the deep forests all throughout the rather unexplored parts of Halkeginia, which includes Tristain.

'Then again, Halkegenia is a magical world, so there might be some truth to this. But you have to admit, monsters that only live by sucking a guy off? A man's ultimate dream, I'll say.' Dante thought as he recalled the article, smirking.

He just might visit the place one way or another.

If he actually knew where that place was,

With such various collections of news articles ranging from the usual Noble Scandals, the Usual News and then the Oddities,

One could say it's this world's form of newspaper tabloids; and a rather fun piece of entertainment to those literate enough to read.

And understand the contents.

Since the writers of this world gathers information from almost anybody…. Most of the news written in it is rather sketchy at best to the devil hunter's tastes.

But then, as stated earlier…there are some that might have some truth to it…

Dante's eyebrow rose in interest as he read the following article from the said Journal:

**_Special Report: The Csejthe Mystery_**

_During the winter season in 16xx, King Malthius II of Gallia sent a party of men to the massive Castle Csejthe. He had heard rumors that several young women from the area were being held in the castle against their will, if not actually killed. In haste, he sent a team to investigate._

_None of them ever returned…_

_When the retainers were asked of the investigators' whereabouts, they answer that they have never seen the people being searched for. _

_At some time, they finally found one of the said men, he was once known as Valentine Penrose. Now, a wandering idiot, who kept shouting "The Blood, the Blood…So much Blooood!" in a blood-curdling craze, as he lay curled up in a corner. _

_He died a few days after they found him._

_As if this made the castle's reputation as a people friendly tourist's spot…_

_Thus, the mystery of the Csejthe Castle eludes the entire Kingdom, and the rest of Halkeginia, as such the rumors escalated to the point that many believe that something more sinister at work beneath the castle walls. But no one dared to do it…_

_No one else in his court had the courage to go to the Castle to confirm their fate. _

_But then suddenly, King Malthius II began to retract his interest in Castle Csejthe. That or maybe the fact that there is a threat of a plague coming from Albion that could possibly spill over Gallia if left unchecked._

_Especially if said plague causes the dead to return to life with an insatiable hunger for human flesh. It was also reported that anyone who was even scratched by these creatures ultimately succumb to the disease, starting with a violent fit of fever, which presumably burns whatever was left of the victim's brain. After which, the afflicted goes into a coma, only to wake up dead, and immediately search for fresh meat…_

_Hence a question comes to the news writer's mind as he wrote the said report._

_How in the world does one wake up dead?_

Moving on, Dante continues to read the article.

_Due to the entire kingdom's watchful vigil from the said Devil's plague, the Castle Csejthe was removed from their watch, hence free from further inquiry for a few months…_

Dante then removed his eyes away from the article as her remembered the place being described from his own information network, through the Swords of Halkeginia.

_The "the Party" happened, which only the selected and invited Nobles attended was said to be so fabulous that it effectively dispelled whatever evil rumours that once surrounded the castle… _

_Held by none other than the first Countess Erzbet Bathory, an elegant beauty back in her age. She had a very pale face contrasted with dark hair. Her face youthful and beautiful and her body voluptuous, otherwise known as Countess Elizabeth Bathory, a rather young widow of a Mageknight Ferenc Nádasdy, who was reportedly killed in the Last Crusade to regain the Holy land from the elves._

_-End of report-_

'Let's see…the facts behind the said "Party"….' Dante muses, as he looks at the Halkagininan World map.

Halkeginia seemed a wonderful place at the first glance, a world filled with magic and adventure, from the literary and topographical point of view. Unfortunately, another thing could be said with the social structure. With the magic wielding humans, identifying themselves as Nobles, ruling over the larger number of non-magic imbued ones as Plebeians,

There are those who reigned over them justly and honestly,

The thing is, there are a lot more Nobles who are far removed from bearing true "Noble" virtues.

And among them, are even Nobles whose heartlessness, cruelty and perversity could even rival that of a devil, they're known as the Libertines or Sybarites, one inordinately attached to pleasure and luxury.

Much worse, they are able to hide themselves from the monarchy's view, thus they were flourishing right under the ruling class's noses.

It is commonly accepted amongst these types of people that the sensations communicated by the organs of hearing are the most flattering and those impressions are the liveliest; as a consequence, the party goer's in that party are not ordinary people but those who were of a mind to have voluptuousness implant itself in the very core of their beings as deeply and as overwhelmingly as ever it could penetrate, had, to this end.

(XD Just to be clear, I myself have no idea what the heck that means…XD I just write what I have in mind… XD)

It turned out that having investigated her chosen guests are those who, knew of having immured themselves within everything that was best able to satisfy the senses through lust.

After having established this well known fact, the plan was devised for their entertainment, in the greatest detail and in due order, every one of debauchery's extravagances, all its divagations, all its ramifications, all its contingencies, all of what is termed in libertine language its passions.

There is simply no conceiving the degree to which man varies them when his imagination grows inflamed; excessive may be the differences between men that is created by all their other manias, by all their other tastes, but in this case it is even more so, and he who should succeed in isolating and categorizing and detailing these follies would perhaps perform one of the most splendid labors which might be undertaken in the study of manners, and perhaps one of the most interesting.

It would thus be a question of finding some individuals capable of providing an account of all these excesses, then of analyzing them, of extending them, of itemizing them, of graduating them, and of running a story through it all, to provide coherence and amusement.

That those who were the providers of amusement were described were of high birth, virtuousness, and the most delicious visage possible; her procurers were instructed to conduct their researches so as to draw material chiefly from eminent families, and were not to hand over any girl without being able to prove that she had been forcibly abducted from either a convent housing pensionnaires of quality, or from the home of a family, and that a family of distinction. Whatever was not superior to the class of bourgeoisie, and what from these upper classes was not both very virtuous and wholly virgin and impeccably beautiful, would be refused without mercy; spies were posted to survey these women's proceedings and to supply the society with exhaustive and prompt reports of what they were doing.

Such was the meticulousness of the Countess. Even though her interests were an open secret, nobody had the guts to speak openly thereof, unless you're a member of the Libertine Society that is…

In other words, the said Party was the culmination of the Countess' research on Libertinism,

Basing on the newsletters, her experience was impeccable for someone who, having spent their lives in the most furious debauchery, had reached the state where she could provide an exact account of all these matters; and, as care had been taken with her being endowed with a certain eloquence and a fitting turn of mind, after much discussion, recording, and arranging, having gone into the adventures of her life, all the most extraordinary vagaries of debauch, and to do so in such an order and at such a pace that at one part of her experiences, for example, would work into the tale of her life's activities the one hundred and fifty simple passions and the least esoteric or most ordinary deviations…

And maybe even more.

Thus the ploy to remove all traces of suspicion on the goings on within the castle has been successfully done. To the point that many of the attending Nobles

It was said that during the first ever "Party" many of the participating entertainment providers were killed. Then again, this could be just a rumor made by jealous Nobles who weren't invited.

One Noble, apparently the only one who was so disgusted with the said "Party" tried to have it reported to the expose the details, only to have him and the rest of his close family to mysteriously disappear.

One article mentioned that one of his children, a 16-year old girl, was reported to have been serving as a drudgery maid a certain perverted marquis. The girl was executed by beheading a few months later, for murdering a co-worker over a lover, not to mention an adulterous relationship with a great number of men.

Yeah right. Tell me something better, bastards.

"Probably another fabricated story just to get rid of her, the poor girl." Dante commented to himself thoughtfully as he continued to read the article.

_The "Party" became an annual event to the Bathory clan as time passes, with the leading figurehead being always Countess Bathory and her successors, also would be named Elizabeth Bathory._

_Currently, head of the Bathory estate is Elizabeth Bathory XIII, _

_Though the "Party" being held at this time is a bit tame than the first one, It always never fails to impress the on-goers. The Countess never failed to be able to cater to the preferences of her selected guests. _

That aside, the Dante wonders himself why his interest has been ensnared by this article…

Though at the moment his attention will be taken away as…

"Dante, Help!" his contractor squeaked, still being imprisoned by piles of heavy books.

"Alright, alright already, I'm coming." Dante lazily replied as he proceeds to go aid the mini-mage.

Dante leaves the book, on top of the table, the book of newsletters opened up to a page that read:

Tristain Magic Academy Interschool Newsletter:

**Alleged Haunting at the Tristain Girl's Dormitories, Unfounded**

_There are reports of the strange moanings of girls could be heard from some of the girl's dormitories, reported by some of the Academy employees who happened to pass by in the dead of night. Fearing that the dormitories could be haunted, the school masters had launched an investigation. Upon interviewing the girls who occupy the places, they tend to blush deep red and just say, "We haven't heard any of those things, being described, M'seiu." Besides that, there were no signs of haunting of any kind, save for a schoolteacher, by the name of Colbert, found a rather strangely titled book in the girl's washroom… _

_"The Silver-Haired Crimson Knight and the Maid's Moonlit Bath"_

_There is nothing in the dorms that showed any signs of haunting…._

_The rather confusing report has been sent to the Academy head, which upon seeing the book M'seiu Colbert brought, just shrugged and said "I see. The matter is settled then, there is nothing to worry about. There is no haunting going on in there."_

／人◕ .◕人＼

Travelling down the dirt roads of the Tristain countryside was an ornate carriage guided by one strapping young man on horseback riding just ahead of the carriage.

Both are decorated ornately with expensive decoration, indicating that the ones riding were of nobility, or at least very wealthy. They drove at a calm pace, indicating that they weren't in any sort of hurry.

Inside the carriage, a woman who obviously sure of her sexuality, and any normal red blooded guy who looks at this piece of heaven can just go Hubba, Hubba, AWOOOWOOOOWOOOOOOO!

She wears a single piece flaming red dress, lined with a swathe of black, intricately woven lace, accenting the dress, and entire thing was moulded perfectly to her body. It was further accessorized with a series of gold chains hanging at her hips, pretty much like a fashionable belt of sorts.

She wore long jet-black gloves going up to her shoulders; and her middle fingers were decorated with rings set with beautiful red rubies, her favourite jewel.

She has rather trim form, were it not several key features such as the truthfully indistinct wrinkles at the edge her eyes; one would have mistaken her to be a woman in her twenties rather than someone about to go to her forties.

Her chest was, for lack of a better term, bountiful. Her breasts can be easily compared to large, perfectly well-shaped round watermelons and with how low-cut her dress was, her cleavage was easily visible, and has no signs of sagging at all.

Her husband is clearly one lucky bastard.

(MILF! MILF! MILF! OMG what the hell am I writing?)

It was made even more splendid by her deep brown tanned skin. Her hair was a vibrant shade of red, which cascades down to between her shoulders.

She is a woman of great health in more ways than one…

At the moment, her face is partially hidden by her flaming red locks, but the part of her face could be seen showed mature beauty which would make men of all ages fall to their knees in worship of her visage.

ALL HAIL THE WOMAN AMONGST WOMEN!

Softly smiling, she is reminiscent of that of a mother, happy for their child. Her light brown eyes were reading piece of parchment in her hands, which could be the very reason for her smile.

Gazing at the scrawled surface of the item, she read the words written on the said item, again.

Dear Mother,

Mother! I am truly in love!

I do not know how else to better explain my feelings on parchment like this! I had thought that I had truly known the pleasures of love and affection for some time now;

I was proven oh so gloriously wrong! He completely embodies the flames which I treasure so dearly! His silent kindness like the hearth fire, then when the time calls for it, he has the unstoppable strength of a wild inferno and that indomitable smoldering passion in his person has set me ablaze!

Oh! Whenever I think of him, I can only think of how I desire him so! I just know that when the time comes for you and father to meet him, you will see that overwhelming power he holds!

He holds array of weapons which no one has seen before ever! He wields it beyond mastery and yet through all this, his true nature remains such a mystery! Witnessing him battle to protect us from various dangers that come to us, I get shivers of delight just remembering them.

He seems to have come from a foreign land, and claims that he is just an odd jobs man, a rather ordinary job in my opinion. Yet with his skills that I have beheld, now I have a slightest suspicion that he might be related to the hero whose story has been passed within our family for generations, a Knight of Legends.

Unfortunately, there is the manner in which he arrived here in Tristain was when Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere summoned him in her Familiar Summoning ritual.

As I mentioned in my letters some time ago, she never revealed any kind of aptitude to magic before but for once, I am happy to have been proven wrong or else I would not have meet my Darling.

My passion burns for him so much that the only way I can contain myself is to write my feelings on paper, to the point that I ended up making it into a story…well…stories, all testaments proclaiming my blazing love for him.

For now, I'm still not sure how to woo my Darling to my side, as he seems to know the wiles of a woman in love. He's not resisting at all at any of my previous advances. But for some reason, he can be such a tease. Oh, and how wonderful of a tease he is. In just a simple kiss, he can send any woman to fits of unbelievable bliss. Then he just moves away as I bask in the afterglow, but he still has that inviting air about him that I cannot resist.

Oh mother, I could attest to you that even by his mere touch and kisses, I was sent to incomparable ecstasy, making me want him all the more.

It is clear that my cravings for him will not cease to abate since that night. I feel that I will never get enough of him.

But then the problem is... he serves Louise, a Valliere.

But then again, is it not tradition for a Zerbst to steal a man or woman from a Valliere?

And that said, as a Zerbst,I promise I shall make him mine.

Your Dutiful Daughter,

Kirche Agusta Fredrica von Anhalt Zerbst

／人◕ .◕人＼

'Interesting,' the Noblewoman thought, as she smiled rather mischievously, pondering as she read over her daughter's words.

Without any further ado, meet Lady Marguerite Irina Lilith Francesca von Anhalt Zerbst, Kirche's mother…

(For the sake of being obvious, note of her name.)

Kirche had always been a wild and an extremely passionate child.

Of course there was nothing wrong with that in her stance as Kirche's mother.

However, it had gotten her in trouble many times over before, especially at one point when she studied in her former school of magic in Germania.

Simply put, she single-handedly almost destroyed the school, both physically and its reputation, as her 'antics' had caused a very big scandal.

Lady Zerbst and her husband had seriously considered getting her married to a strapping young Noble who should be able to properly put her passions somewhere useful.

Alas, all their efforts are to no avail, due to the fact that she's too spirited to be chained down by betrothal, much like an untameable mare of legends.

They eventually decided to hold off on that decision and send Kirche to the Tristain Academy to finish her education since they didn't want her sitting and moping around their house.

Let me say this again, Lady Zerbst hearing her daughter proclaim her love for somebody was nothing new.

The girl, like the Lady Zerbst, had a taste for men and once the yearning was sated, would go and develop a new one, leaving the beau she had tired with under the ashes of her passions, as she left for another one to burn, both in body and heart, and I don't mean it in a literal sense but you guys get the general idea.

(Oops, poking the fourth wall here… )

Well anyway, undoubtedly she is a heartbreaker, just like her mother.

But somehow, to Lady Zerbst, her daughter's latest letters she sent home felt pretty different.

Kirche's proclamations about her feelings towards this 'Darling' of hers actually included having him to meet her parents, something that her daughter had never done in the past.

She'd usually brag to her mother about whatever strapping young man she had managed to catch her fancy and whatever did she do to him. Basically, she never kept her rather extremely liberated love life from her mother,

Well, most of the time.

But she has never spoke so seriously of a man before, especially one she hadn't been intimate with if she caught the hint right. Especially due to the fact, that this man is currently contracted to a Valliere.

Vallieres were so possessive of their property, especially whenever a Zerbst is around.

All the more a reason for the hot Noblewoman had decided that a visit to her daughter would be in order.

(So please don't look sultrily at me Milady. I'm still busy chronicling here.)

"But you look so…pent up…"

(Uh, Please allow me at least a 20 minute bathroom break.)

(A panting but relaxed Chronicler returns from wherever he went…)

(Ok, Resume)

She smiled at the thought of having her daughter spirit away the so-called Valliere's guardian being. But it was all in good fun.

It's just a funny thought; a playful, wishful thinking in her part.

Her husband was away on some official business, so she had nothing else to do at the moment.

"Milady!" the handsome carriage driver called to the redheaded Noble, drawing her attention to him.

"We should be arriving in the city by sundown. We can head to the academy at your leisure by the morrow."

"I see," Lady Zerbst nods, as she opens a book, wherein detailing the latest naughty adventures of a certain debonair knight in red armor with silver-white locks with her red-headed queen whom he serves with his sword, and the other 'sword'(seriously, don't get me to describe too many details), and it involves strangely described pies for some reason.

The Book of Postures, Venus in the Cloister, or the Nun in Her Nightdress, and even John the Fucker Debauched had nothing on these writings…since those novels have no other content than wanton lechery and…heaven knows what else.

(Author warning: those last titles are real life Middle Age books, under in no circumstances, to those who love one's sanity and innocence, PLEASE DO NOT READ THESE LAST THREE BOOKS MENTIONED.)

Ehem.

The recently popular series of novels detailing the adventures of the silver-locked knight and his, for lack of better word, "Masters" who he serves with his body and soul…more like his body that is. The stories have been the rage of the Tristanian ladies for some time now, as the details of erotic romance between the characters has never been described this intensely before.

In

Exquisite.

Detail.

Did I mention that these novels are those types that are supposed to be read using one hand?

Don't ask me where the other one goes…

After reading a certain entry from the novel, Lady Zerbst looked back down to her daughter's letter,

'I am certainly most interested in meeting this man.'

(Next Scene)

The real Henrietta is merely an ordinary girl dressed in multiple-layered and pricey dresses. If she kisses, she would blush; if she embraces, she would bury her face in the other party's chest. Her breasts and cheeks, all of them are soft... She is this fragile lady.

(Well, if those things are hard, that'll be a problem.)

Nobody knows Henrietta's true self.

There is no being who knows the true self of this young queen with her firmness broken down.

No one knows her extremely weak true self as a young lady.

And why do I even mention it, out of nowhere?

Why the hell not?

Anyway, at the moment, Henrietta is at her desk, reading a bunch of reports from various types, most of it concerning running the kingdom. Mazarin is sitting at another desk just a bit to the left of the current Queen of Tristain, also busy reading from his own pile of documents.

Henrietta sighs as she signed another set of documents, this one having to do with the management of the budget…

"Your Highness…"

"I'm not finished yet."

Reaching for a glass of diluted wine from the tea cart, she sighed again as she took a small draught of wine.

"You need to rest, Your Highness."

Although it has been a few months since that harrowing experience of nearly committing a terrible mistake, she still hasn't managed to get over it.

"Just one more document then…"

Thus, she dedicated most of her waking hours trying to make up to her stupidity by working hard in running the kingdom. Though most of the documents arriving to her desk are probably ready to progress, needing only her approval for it to be implemented, it's the same manner as it always has been done before her time.

Though at least this time, it is said that no kingdom has ever been run so smoothly than Tristain has at the moment.

But let's be honest, willing as the mind may be, the body has its limits…

The generally human body that is.

"Please you Highness, at least take some time to rest." Mazarin pleaded his charge,

Though at first the old advisor has been quite happy at first that the queen is actually working hard for the kingdom, and then he came to realize that the queen is actually doing this for another reason…

She'll be running herself to the ground if this trend continues.

"Hm?" the from the document pile, Henrietta picks a scroll with a curious red wax seal on it.

A Sword with two serpentine dragons entwining it.

Mazarin's eyes nearly bugged out upon realizing the sender of the said item.

"The Countess Bathory wishes your presence at the Party." Henrietta reads the preface…

This year's "Party" invitation from the partially esteemed, partially-scorned Noble Family…

The old advisor, having known of the general background of the said Noble Lineage, is still apprehensive about having the young queen going to a party such as this. Knowing a lot of most of the goings on underneath the Tristanian Society, so he very much had the idea on the history behind the lavish parties; and personally Mazarin doesn't want the queen to be attending the said affair due to the fact that it might possibly endanger the queen, both physically and mentally.

She's not ready to face it yet.

Oh yes, he actually went into one of first parties held in that accursed castle.

The things he saw there never stopped haunting him ever since.

Thus, the young Mazarin promised himself to root out every depraved, rotten Nobles out of the Kingdom, even if it takes his entire life.

Lucky for him, both the late King and Henrietta shared his wishes…

At least, since Henrietta's reign, the number of these Noble bastards have been kept track upon, waiting for them to make the wrong move.

Then they'll be punished and incarcerated for their crimes.

As one might know, these are tough bastards to just go up and arrest, due to the connections they have are quite wide that even a ruling monarch can't do anything about it.

Unless someone crazy enough would lead them out into the open…

Thus, a plan has been set by the elder priest…

But first things first…

"Please rest, My Queen…We'll continue this by the morrow." he tells Henrietta as she stifles a yawn.

The tired young monarch smiled wanly, putting down the invitation.

There's still a few weeks before the said event anyway.

Yes, she needed the rest.

／人◕ .◕人＼

At the same moment…

At the Academy Commissary, otherwise known as the Alviss Hall…

Dante and Louise spend their free time after class having tea in the said Hall.

"Well, I must commend you kid. You really made their eyes bug-out with that report."

Dante congratulated his contractor, raising a mug of beer in a gesture.

As a reward of sorts, Dante actually had an extra-large serving of strawberry sundae for her success.

Which she is currently attacking with great delight.

Louise, earlier in Bestiary Class, stunned the entire class with her report regarding the history and the different branches of magical creatures.

"EXCUUSEEEMEEEEEEEEEEEE!" a familiar voice rang through the hall as a white and dark blue blur suddenly appears right in front of the two.

"Look out!" Dante warns Louise, at the same time, pushing the mini-mage tumbling away.

"AWAWAWAWAWAWAWA!"

In that split second, Dante scanned the surroundings….behind him are a group of girls peacefully chatting as they have tea.

'Crap.' Dante thought, quickly using a split-second defensive Royalguard move…

SPLASH!

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH HH!" Siesta wailed, as she stumbles on the floor.

Dante's roaring could be heard throughout the Halls, as the piping hot pot of soup hits the Devil Hunter on the head, spilling its contents all over him.

Dante gets covered in hot soup as Siesta arrived in such force that the pot actually flew up.

"Umm… I'm so sorry, Dante-san,"

A few moments later, we find our hero cleaning up in his private bath (or maybe not that private, considering Dante could actually sense that there are a lot of onlookers watching him) the tub…in the moonlight….

"Seriously, what the heck is going on with this day?" the devil hunter asked as he sat on the warmed bathtub.

"Umm, excuse me..." a voice interrupts his monologue,

Dante did not have to turn around to know that the one who spoke was none other than the reason for his current predicament.

Siesta.

"May, I…" the maid looks at him with those pleading, very alluring eyes at him.

"…"

"Join you?"

For some reason this morning, it seems that I've been failing and cause trouble to others.

"Even so, at least you did your best not to cause any injury, right?"

"Err…Maybe I have…"

Well, there are those days when things just don't go according to your wishes…

"But now I have failed so badly…"

"Hey, you don't have to be so pessimistic."

"Er.. I still feel that I need to apologise properly…"

"There's no need to apologize further."

"But…"

She moved slowly towards the devil hunter.

"So…"

"To make up for today's trouble…Please allow me to wash your back…"

Now, were going somewhere.

"No, wait. No matter how I see it, your idea of an apology is just too weird."

"It'll be fine…You already taken me…right? And I'm pretty confident of what I can do now."

"That's not what I'm worried about."

Dante looks around the court.

To his surprise, he sees a sea of endless gleaming eyes, casting blazing gazes at them.

Just to be clear, these eyes belong to the countless stalkers Dante has garnered for the past few months.

It's not much of a trouble for Dante but then, he realized what the Siesta has actually said…

"Oh, hell no."

Looks like the maid has no idea that they're…er…he's being stalked.

"Ah, it might be embarrassing, but please bear with it…"

'I'm not embarrassed for myself but for you, Siesta. Then again, with situations like this there tend to be…' Dante thought, sighing.

She moves towards the basically naked devil hunter…only to slip, sending her flying headfirst to Dante.

Dante barely had enough time to say…

"Yup, I knew it."

Well, it's safe to say that the first thing that hits him first were those pair of bountiful fun-bags.

Hitting him squarely to the face, and sends the two of the crashing on to the water filled tub.

"Hehehehe, I did it again…" Siesta grins, as she managed to sit up…

Yeah, right on top of where Dante's personal longsword would be…

"Hm…this might not a be bad thing at all…" Dante comments.

"Oh my," Siesta mumbles, as she blushed madly.

But as her second nature would dictate her, she will press on the advantage whenever she can. Especially when that said advantage is with a certain silver-haired man, who is right in front of her.

"Then will you allow this humble maid to attend to you?"

Before the devil hunter could reply, she proceeds to scrub Dante's well built torso…though it seems that the maid is doing this rather erotically…as her breath are becoming passionate breaths…as she tries hard not to drool over her front seat view of her beloved man.

And her breasts, now slightly visible thanks to the wet uniform, are causing the dress to cling to the maid's body, revealing her obviously sexy physique.

'Wait, has she always been this beautifully built?' Dante wonders as he gets treated to the front row seat to Siesta's exquisitely toned body.

Dante tries to make her stop washing him, but was unable to make a move, seeing how determined Siesta is in trying to make up to her mistake.

He decided to at least talk to her, to get her mind from thinking what her suspects her to be thinking of doing. He could actually see steam coming out of her heating body, creating a rather erotic mist around the two as they are bathed in the light of the two moons.

'Must. Talk. About. Something. Now.' He thought,

As much as he wanted to do her now, there are other things that needed discussing.

"Siesta, about the incident this evening…"

"Ah,"

The pretty maid just looks down (not too down) looking rather depressed.

"You can talk to me of whatever troubles you." Dante pressed on,

But Siesta seems to be intent of doing something other than to talk about her troubles…

(But, I leave that to your imagination.)

"If you continue doing that, I might…."

Rummble…

The gazing, violently gleaming eyes suddenly increased in number. XD

'As much as I wanted to do this and that with her…that would only mean trouble.'

As he observed the bushes surrounding the court seems to blow off massive amounts of steam.

Crash!

"We should run away now."

／人◕ .◕人＼

After spending the night in a rather acceptable inn, Lady Zerbst was once again on her way towards Tristain Academy. She had sent a messenger to the academy ahead of her so she was sure that they knew she was coming.

Since that is the proper manner for a wall-mannered noble to do so.

On the other hand, she hoped to surprise her daughter with her visit. It had been a while since she had seen Kirche and since their last parting had been a little strained, she hoped this visit would be much more pleasant.

Arriving at the school, Lady Zerbst patiently waited for the driver to open the door for her, she then daintily took the driver's hand as she stepped out onto the school grounds.

Right in front of the school was none other that Old Osmond and a bespectacled fellow she recalled to be one of her daughter's teachers.

"Ah, M'selle Zerbst, Welcome to our esteemed Magic Academy." Osmond greeted with a smile, as she approached the old school master.

He was polite and welcoming…though she didn't fail to notice that his eyes were having a difficult time rising to her face from where they seemed to be stuck on her breasts.

Well, she didn't mind the attention.

Not in the least

It was free to look after all, otherwise she wouldn't have put so much effort into making herself look good in the first place.

Those melons in particular.

"It was most unexpected when your messenger told me of your arrival. Though I must apologize, we didn't have too much time to prepare for you."

"That's all right Headmaster Osmond. I don't mind at all," Lady Zerbst smiled.

Glancing at the other man, she couldn't help but let her grin turn sultry.

'Hmm, he was certainly handsome in his scholarly own way.' She thought, gazing at the rather nervous-looking teacher, who happened to be Colbert .

There seemed to be something in his eyes and the way he stood there that caught her attention.

It had been a while since her last fling and she had been getting the craving recently…

Inwardly she licked her lips…

"I don't think your assistant and I have been introduced before."

"Uh?" the bespectacled man blinked, obviously not expecting to be brought into the conversation.

"My apologies Milady, my name is Jean Colbert. I am one of the teachers here at the school. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh the pleasure is all mine," Lady Zerbst smiled.

That would be her actual wish to have at the moment.

'A teacher eh?' she thought,

Well, she may just have the perfect excuse to get some time alone with him then.

"So, you're a teacher? You wouldn't by any chance have my daughter in any of your classes then do you?"

"Ah, yes I do actually," Colbert nodded, trying to shake that feeling that the lovely lady in front of him is giving him signals,

Really dangerous signals…

For a virgin. XD

(Seriously, Colbert is a virgin? THE COLBERT?)

"She is without a doubt one of my more passionate students." He answered.

"As expected of a Zerbst, especially a daughter of mine!" Lady Zerbst giggled.

"We really must get **together **and share tales then." She added, emphasis on the 'together',

'Oh, heck. She is flirting with me' Colbert thought,

"Uh, I think I can make the time," Colbert nodded rather mechanically.

'He's so innocent!' Lady Zerbst giggled in her mind.

She didn't think he got any of her sultry intentions.

Oh, she was going to enjoy shocking his world when she saw her opportunity to...

You guys get the gist.

Turning her attention back to Old Osmond, she noticed that his eyes still hadn't left her chest.

Her eyebrows rose a bit.

She also noticed that there was a mouse sniffing around the edge of her skirt, but she didn't make any fuss about it.

Unlike other Nobles, she's not that squeamish.

She's Germanian, 'nuff said.

Besides the said mouse is probably either of the two's Familiar, probably making sure nothing untoward was on her person, like a weapon or something.

Or maybe…a more simpler, baser reasons…

"Actually, the reason I was visiting was to meet with my daughter concerning a letter she wrote me about someone she met as well as hinting about some events that had occurred recently."

"Ah," Osmond nodded. "I assure you that there are no dangers to our students, although we did suffer some excitement due to that Fouquet incident. You daughter actually had a hand in capturing her. I assume she told you?"

Lady Zerbst gave a wry smile,

"She neglected to mention that much,"

Shrugging off the latest information on her daughter's activities, she decided to stay on topic.

"With all of the excitement she was conveying in her last letter, I decided to come visit her and see what got her so excited myself."

The mouse seemed the have found a way into the folds of her skirt…

"I see. Well, I'm certain she's in her dormitory since there are no classes today," Osmond nodded, his eyes still glued to Lady Zerbst's breasts. They are just that hot.

Colbert seemed to finally notice what the headmaster was doing and tried to imperceptibly get him to stop but to no avail, the old man was totally hypnotized by those deep valleys. (In a good way.)

Lady Zerbst also felt the mouse poke its head underneath her skirt.

'So it wanted a peek at what she sported underneath eh? No doubt to report to its master, likely Osmond.' arriving at the hypothesis, due to the clear evidence right in front of her.

Either that of the said Master of the Familiar had his vision synchronized with it…hence the hypnotized look on the Osmond's face.

Silly mouse/man, they were assuming that she was wearing any underclothing down there.

She wasn't.

"GUHAAAAAAAAA!" the old man and the mouse faints… in a geyser of nosebleeds.

Yup, that ought to blow his mind for awhile.

"Well then, shall we go see her?" Lady Zerbst asked with a smile at the last man standing, clearly ignoring the bloody incident just now.

'This…This woman is dangerous.' Colbert thought as he nervously lifted the downed Osmond to the nearby bench to recover. He also put the K.O.'ed rodent on its bed on Osmond's desk, for the old Academy head to see.

'Now, he won't be asking me what happened to the mouse.'

"Uh, If you please follow me." The nervous teacher offered the rather hot Noblewoman,

／人◕ .◕人＼

Everyone had the day off from classes that day so Dante decided to use it to take time cleaning Derflinger and his guns while Louise got caught up on the some of the work she missed while they were on the mission for Henrietta and during the Princess rescue Arc...

"The rest of the day felt like it was going to be a little boring so perhaps I should try...loosening up a bit." Dante muses as he deftly swings Derflinger around. Then he absently spins the blade in a Windmill, before throwing it into the air, sending it spinning like a helicopter rotor before catching it on one hand, like a thrown baton.

"Wheeeee!" The sentient blade shouts in glee, as it flew though the air, glinting magnificently in the morning sun.

"Dante!"

The devil hunter blinked and looked up to see Siesta walking towards them with a basket in her arms. She happily strode towards them and he could see that her basket was filled with food.

But for some reason she's a bit careful of moving about.

Dante's stomach gave off a groan, alerting the guy to the fact that it wanted fuel.

"G'day, Siesta!" Dante greeted with a wave. "What's up?"

Still smiling, Siesta reached us before she took a seat next to him. She then presented the basket for his viewing pleasure.

And he was pleased at what he saw.

A Pie that looks so similar to a Pepperoni Pizza?

Dante was thoroughly impressed.

"Have you eaten? I brought some things from the kitchen if you were hungry," she said to him.

"Hey, maid girl, thanks again for the sword maintenance supplies!" said Derflinger, interjecting himself into he conversation.

"You're welcome, Derflinger, you look really shiny," she complimented with a smile. It never really ceased to surprise Sante how accustomed she got to Derflinger's presence.

I mean, even in a world where magic was commonplace a talking sword had to be something no one had ever seen before. Still, Siesta had taken it all in stride and even now had gotten supplies to help take care of said sentient sword.

"Well, Partner really did a great job. Of course I had to tell him how to do it right," said Derflinger.

Setting Derflinger to the side, but making sure he didn't get dirt on his newly cleaned surface, Dante started helping himself to the food that Siesta had been so generous to bring him.

"Did you hear the news yet?" asked Siesta. "A noble from Germania is coming to visit the Academy today."

"Really?" Dante said biting into the pizza slice.

"Why would they come here? Doesn't Germania have its own academy?"

"Yes, but since Lady Zerbt's daughter goes to this school, I understand why she would visit," Siesta nods.

"Wait, you mean Kirche's mother is coming to visit the school?" the devil hunter asked, showing some surprise.

"Yes!"

"Uh-huh…"

The crimson add-jobs man's mind was actually of a mixed one when that information got to him.

On one hand, this might be a completely innocent visit with the Lady Zerbst just making sure her daughter was getting along fine and wasn't causing any problems.

Parents would sometimes do that when their children were in school.

However…Dante was also kind of curious what kind of woman would give birth to a girl like Kirche.

'For all I knew, the two could be like peas in a pod and it was from her that Kirche learned her conducts.'

Dante then shrugs,

'I guess I would have to wait and see.'

／人◕ .◕人＼

Lady Zerbst arrived at the girls' dormitories, which Osmond and Colbert decided not to enter.

That left the redheaded MILF to find her daughter's room herself. Of course, they did give her the position of the room so it was not that difficult to go and find it.

And so, after some flights of stairs, Lady Zerbst came to a stop in front of one of the rooms.

Without hesitation she brought her hand up and rapped on the door. Maybe she could catch her daughter in the midst of a fling with her darling and teach them a thing or two.

Or maybe even join them if she liked the guy.

"Who is it?" she heard her daughter call.

Oh well, there was always Colbert as a possible plaything.

"Your mother," Lady Zerbst called back.

The door flew open to reveal Kirche, looking quite surprised to see her mother.

In fact, anyone else who was looking at the pair could have easily mistaken the pair for sisters as many had done so numerous times in the past.

And they still are mistaken as such.

Kirche blinked, but then broke into a joyous smile. "Oh, Mother! It's so wonderful to see you!" The two redheads connected with a tight hug before kissing on each others cheeks. (YURI?)

After which, they pulled back, but kept their hands gripped together. "Whatever are you doing here?"

"Well," Lady Zerbst smiled. "Since my daughter has written home about her new Darling which she would like us to meet, I decided to just see who could have been manly enough to snare her so." She eyed her daughter and noticed that behind her are a bunch of writing materials placed on top of the study desk. "It seemed like I interrupted your studies, my dear." Then the elder Zerbst smiled "And here I was expecting to find you doing something naughty again. What are you writing about?"

Kirche then made a little flinch as she realized something.

Too late for her to react though, as her mother quicker than a wildfire in a storm, Lady Zerbst is already at the desk, reading what the parchment.

"The Crimson Knight, with his armour removed, is now laid bare, all of his manliness for his queen to see…" Lady Zerbst reads a passage aloud. "

" 'Serve your Queen,' the Crimson-haired Royal ordered her vassal…' Oh my?!"

A moment of awkward silence…

"…."

"Oh Dear! How indecent!" The Elder Zerbst exclaims, which is probably what a normal parent would react to seeing such a thing on her daughter's desk.

But then again, the Zerbst are anything but a normal family.

Kirche suddenly found herself once more being hugged by her mother as she said happily, "Ara, As expected of my daughter, even with the things she writes are blazing with passion!"

"….." Kirche who was lost for words, blushed as her mother hugs the young lady with loving arms…

"Oooh. Now I'm certainly intrigued as to who is this Crimson Knight's inspiration is," Lady Zerbst cooed. "I simply must meet this man."

"Oh that would be wonderful!" the younger Zerbst squealed. She then turned serious for a moment. As she saw a certain glint in her mother's eyes,

"But remember Mother, he's mine first."

"I would never dream of taking him for one of my flings," Lady Zerbst assured her daughter solemnly.

Then the Lady Zerbst smiles mischievously.

"Well, not without your permission of course."

"Then we shall have no problems," Kirche grinned. "I think I saw him heading outside. If we look I think we can still find him there."

"Then let's not waste any time!" Lady Zerbst smiled, matching her daughter's grin.

／人◕ .◕人＼

Dante ended up spending time with Siesta for some reason, as he tests the newly restored blade into a duel with the Doppelganger.

More like a sword dance than a duel. It was a well choreographed scene as the original and the shadow exchanged slashes, thrusts and blows. It was a beautiful exchange of peerless skill that Siesta was unable to take her eyes off it.

It was as if something about the mock-battle that stirred something within the maid.

And oh, how much the maid years for his love.

As well as to join him in battle.

'Wait, why was I thinking of joining, Dante in battle' Siesta thought,

(Do not think of it as a sex scene please)

Dante was getting heated up practicing his sword swings with the Doppelganger when suddenly, a blade of wind disperses it.

FWOOOOOSH!

The shadow clone vanished in a wisp of smoke.

With an annoyed face with having his practice rudely interrupted, Dante turns his gaze towards the origin of the spell.

Walking towards him in a rather proud pace was a guy who looked like he seemed to be in his twenties.

He was wearing fancy clothes suitable in this period, which were easily attributed to the nobility which were coloured a royal red with gold accents along the edges of the coat as well as the ends of the sleeve.

He had a travelling cloak on as well as a broad-brimmed hat which were both coloured red.

Gripped in his hand was a sword wand. If anything, it looked more like a foil with a blunt tip, like for fencing. Under his hat he sported black hair and darker skin than most people our devil hunter had seen in Tristain.

'Perhaps Germanian like Kirche?' Dante thought,

His eyes were narrow and sharp, with strongly defined features. All in all, he was definitely a looker.

But not as good looking as our resident Devil, Dante.

"Ah, I see I was right on time," the man smiled. "I'm glad that beast wasn't able to hurt anyone."

This guy probably thought the Doppelganger was attacking the Dante and were going to hurt someone.

He reacted like a good person would.

He just wanted to help.

"You seem to have me at a loss dude," Dante stoically replied. "Who might you be?"

"Allow me to introduce myself then," the man nodded, approaching me. "I am Viscount Connor Conquista la Sceadeu. I am glad to see that I was able to prevent that shadow beast from harming you and your lovely companion."

Sheathing Derflinger while Siesta merely blushed and hopped to attention in the presence of a noble. Dante said, "Your heartfelt concern is noted, Viscount Sceadeu, but what you had rescued myself and my friend from was just an artificial training partner."

"An artificial training partner, you say?" Connor blinked. He looked at my clothes. "Well you do look old enough to be a member of the staff but your dress says otherwise, are you a student here?"

"I'm neither." Dante confirmed, "And yes that shadow thingie was mine. I was using it for training."

"Were you?" the Viscount blinked in realization.

"Well, it seems that I perhaps owe you an apology then. Forgive me for interrupting you."

"Think nothing of it," Dante waves off the apology, "'Ti's but an honest mistake."

"I see," the man nodded. "I must confess a curiosity that if you aren't a teacher, and you aren't a student, then why are you here at Tristain Academy at all?"

"Just a visiting odd-jobs man, doing special services to the school," Dante cooly replied.

The man has heard of the Foquet incident and how a small group of students and a man brought the said criminal to justice. Though the thief later escaped the dungeons.

"I see," Connor nodded. "So you are a travelling mercenary then?"

"Well, you could say that, and probably did a good deed in the process." Dante said,

(Say WHAT?)

"A good deed you say," the man nodded, looking warily at the devil hunter.

"Darling!"

Connor and Dante both turned towards the source of the voice and to his lack of a surprise, it was none other than Kirche. She was running towards the two, bouncing the whole way,

You know what I mean.

She certainly looked happy, and probably she wanted to have another crack at seducing Dante. That or she was going to show another one of those erotic novels that was all the rage of the Academy ladies. Probably planning to copy the events from the book, basically…THOSE SCENES… XD

Next to Dante, Connor began to grin as he spread his arms as if he were waiting for a hug,

(Connor NEEDS A HUUUG!)

"Beloved!" he greets the approaching redhead.

'Huh?!'

*WHOOOOOOSH*

*SQUISH*

Kirche blew right past the welcoming arms of the Noble and glomped onto the devil hunter, predictably placing Dante's face in her breasts. The impact still got the devil hunter a surprise even though he was able to see it coming thus ended up tumbling backwards to the ground.

The Son of Sparda could already picture the look on Connor's face, no doubt shocked at how he had been quite suddenly blown off by Kirche in favour of her smothering him with her chest.

Let them die in envy.

"Oh Darling, I'm so glad I found you so quickly!" she cooed. "We heard the commotion from my room and I knew immediately it had to be you!"

Dante easily lifts the lovestruck girl gently off of him as he sits up at the same time.

"Uh, glad to see you too, Kirche." He smiled, though deep within he's actually smirking.

"How dare you?-!" Dante heard Connor suddenly shout out. "You blatantly sit there and take advantage of my-!"

"Temper, Temper, Connor." Dante wags his finger at the enraged Noble, as he felt a presence coming up behind him.

"Ah, is this him, Kirche?" a new voice spoke out, who sounded like a mature woman's…

"Yes, Mother!"

Kirche removed herself from Dante, letting him some space to get back to his feet.

Thus, Dante managed to see who spoke, whom he readily identified as Kirche's mother.

Of course, Connor was there, but he looked like he was building up a head of steam at how Kirche had been lavishing Dante with her attention rather than him.

As much as Dante anticipated the arrival of the Ardent's mother and how she might look, he was still pleasantly surprised…

In front of the group stands a woman Dante hadn't met before, though at just a glance, it was obvious that she was Kirche's mother, either that or she was an older sister of the girl.

With both sporting long red hair and tanned skin, not to mention the pair of them had lovely, curved bodies that were being shown off to their full potential as a woman is being far more developed, than he had ever seen in an inhabitant of Halkeginia.

The only way to tell she was older were the barely noticeable lines on her face which were evident as she smiled at the white-haired man as her daughter held on to his right arm.

Everything about her screams M.I.L.F**.**

(To those who have no idea, I prefer not to say it loud. XD)

A type that Dante doesn't mind trying,

'I wouldn't mind tapping that,' was his first impression.

And by the looks of it, the lady won't be resisting if he ever did went for her…

She even gave him a smile that is not that of a matron, but of a woman that is...

you probably get the idea.

'Correction, **I would very much tap that**.' Dante added, still keeping a rather straight face, thus effectively masking his true thoughts.

"Lady Zerbst, I presume?" Dante greeted with a cordial smile, bowing a bit towards the hot noblewoman.

"Yes," the noble lady nodded with a smile. "And I am to presume you are the 'Darling' that my daughter spoke so fondly of?"

"This is him Mother!" Kirche beamed. "Isn't he dashing?"

"Well, red is certainly his colour," the Lady Zerbst hummed as she eyed the devil hunter from top to bottom in his Crimson outfit, composed of a black vest of unknown material worn over the crimson long coat, a pair of three-buckled elbow length black gloves, a rather flashy silver belt, black pants and fashionable riding boots of designs, the noblewoman has never seen before.

(Think of his DMC 2 outfit)

'Even by looks alone, I think my daughter has certainly right about on choosing him as her future husband. But I think there's more to him than meets the eye.' Lady Zerbst thought,

(Milady. Well, to be fair, he can transform, but he is way better than Optimus Prime...XD)

'But for some reason, I have a feeling I have seen someone the likes of him before…'

On the devil hunter's side, through it all, Dante had a feeling of being presented very much like a male stripper for the viewing pleasure of his customers.

Which doesn't bother him at all, not in the least.

'After all, I am a good looking devil, if I do say so myself.' Dante thought, trying to keep a straight face, but inside he was SMIRKING all the way.

"I think I can feel an air of mystery around you. My daughter once mentioned that you came from outside Halkenginia, is that true?"

"Yes, milady, that is true." Dante nodded, trying not to show a smirk at the comment.

'You have no idea just how far out…'

"Ah, how mysterious," Lady Zerbst purred. "I think I'm beginning to see why my daughter favours you. I look forward to learning everything about you."

No matter how much she looked at Dante, She felt that she might have seen someone like him before, though no matter how many times she tries to point out where, she just can't seem to put her finger on it.

Dante's eyebrow rose at bit at the husky tone of her voice.

Let's just say this,

Compared to Kirche who was raw but still growing sexuality, her mother was a MAN-EATER!

SEX graven in the image of a very alluring being.

Every curve, every inch of her body reveals just how much of a woman she was.

'Whoever her husband is,' Dante thought.

'He's one hell of a lucky bastard.'

"L-Lady Zerbst!" Connor sputtered, looking increasingly indignant. "Are you just going to stand there and let this…this…lecher take advantage of my fiancée?-!"

"Fiancee?" Dante tilted his head slightly, then turned his attention to the Younger redhead,

"You're engaged?" he asked in a deadpan manner,

…

"Connor?" Kirche blinked, turning to look at the viscount. "When did you get here?"

The Viscount began to sputter, quite shaken with the fact that his supposed fiancée hadn't even noticed him when she had run right by him and into the arms of another man. However, before he could begin another talk about his fiancée, Lady Zerbst cut in with a 'tut, tut',

"Now now, Sceadeu, you know those plans were never settled. It was merely a proposal."

"A proposal your husband strongly favoured," Connor retorted.

"I know that, but in the end, nothing was settled. Thus , my daughter is free to pursue whoever she wishes," Lady Zerbst retorted kindly with a motherly smile.

Seems like that despite being similar to a Middle-Aged, semi-Victorian era of social development, there are women were hardly the demure and obedient figures of the household that Dante expected to be seen outside of the Academy.

If this Lady Zerbst could talk back so uncaringly to someone who was also a noble and perhaps had some pull with her husband, she obviously had some personal standing in the world beyond her social status.

Screw that, she had backbone to do things like that.

Strong enough to support those funbags she owned,

Still, hearing that Kirche might have been engaged almost surprised Dante. Since Dante came across her as a free-spirited girl who will not be having any engagements until she got older. But then again, this is the Middle-Age-like world.

Still, looking at the clearly fuming Connor Sceadeu, it seems he'll be facing this guy in the near future, if his battle senses were mistaken.

They never failed him before.

Connor looked rather offended now and his patience certainly wasn't getting any better.

No doubt Lady Zerbst's denial of his claim wasn't helping the situation any. All it needed was one spark to set this exposed bucket of high octane gasoline off.

"Very well then," Lady Zerbst smiled. She walked over to where Kirche and Dante were and took his free arm opposite of her daughter. "Why don't the three of us sit down and get to know one another better, hm?"

Dante shrugged and gave a genuinely charming smile at the Noblewoman for the first time, causing Lady Zerbst to go weak in her knees.

"Well, I don't mind." He said, inwardly smirking.

Next scene….

If you're wondering what happened to Siesta during this time….

Siesta ran like her life depended on it, running for the girls' dormitories.

Well, her future life depended on it after all!

Her red knight in shining armour was being propositioned by that Zerbst girl and her mother, possibly hinting at marriage!

There was no way Siesta was going to let her knight be married off against his will, no matter how pretty or busty the girl in question was! If he was going to marry anyone, it was going to be her! Still, she was just a maid while Kirche and her mother were nobles. If anyone had a chance of stopping this travesty, it would be another noble and Siesta knew just who to tell!

"M'selle Valliere! M'selle Valliere!" she cried, reaching Louise's room and throwing open the door.

SLAM!

And the door fell off its hinges…

"Bwah!" the pinkette cried, torn away from her schoolwork. Spotting the maid, she immediately scowled at her. "Now see here maid! You cannot simply barge in and-!"

"I'm sorry but this is an emergency!" Siesta interrupted. "It's Dante!"

"What?" Louise blinked, totally forgetting to ask the maid as to how the heck did she manage to open /break the locked door. "What about him?"

"Miss Zerbst is propositioning him again," Siesta answered quickly. "But her mother's here too and I think they're trying to get him to marry her!"

**"WHAT?!"**

Louise roared.

She immediately got up and out of her seat with her wand clenched tightly in her hand. She was trembling slightly and her eyes had taken on a truly dark and dare the maid think evil outlook.

"T-t-t-that HUSSY! Trying to seduce my Guardian Being! I should have expected this! Zerbsts always try to steal what is Valliere's!"

She turned her gaze to the maid, who thought she saw Louise's eyes glow red when she did, making Siesta swallow in fright.

"Maid, you will tell me where they are!"

Next Scene

As you readers would probably realize already, Siesta wasn't the Academy's only maid. She was just the one Dante knew the best. Still, when Lady Zerbst had called one of the maids to serve tea, the young girl went off to gather the items before coming with a tray with a teapot, cups, and cakes.

Somehow, he ended up sitting between the Zerbst women with Derflinger propped across him on his own chair for some reason, while the three people conversed in a fancy sitting room that the academy obviously had for special guests.

Dante noted that Lady Zerbst was staring at him like a predatory feline with a prey in its sights for some time now.

Dante inwardly sighs, wondering how the hell he got into this kind of situation in the first place. This is completely different from how he was treated back on earth. Well, considering his past livelihood as a hired odd-jobs guy, he had no time for socializing among the people usually referred to as the society's ruling classes.

Unless it has something to do with a job, he will not usually found hanging around fancy parties such as balls and formal dinners.

A long time ago, his mother drilled into him and his brother how to act among Nobility. Though to be honest they never got it into practice, due to the fact that Sparda used to travel the world working as an archaeologist/antique dealer, using the said profession as a cover to his true work as a devil hunter.

Enough of the reminiscing,

Kirche at the moment, held him so tight that she is almost fused to his arm, apparently quite happy to simply sit next to him and hold on to him just like that.

Then again, he did find her hand crawling towards his thigh, forcing the devil hunter to clasp her hand which she satisfied herself by intertwining her fingers with his.

Dante is not sure how the elder Zerbst would react should he actually do something funny with her daughter.

It didn't exactly help that Connor was nearby, apparently an acting guard for the Lady Zerbst. However, he didn't have too much attention on the world around us in favour of staring holes into his back.

He obviously wasn't pleased with how Kirche seemed too fond of him when it seemed he considered himself to be her future husband.

"Kirche has told me about your abilities," Lady Zerbst commented.

"I must admit that I am curious about what she told me when I asked her about you."

Then she moved her attention towards her daughter, who is apparently enjoying the moment that she's holding on to her beloved Dante, without any Valliere interrupting,

"And you young lady, you have not told me that you had a hand in capturing Fouquet of the Crumbling Earth."

"But mother, I am but a spectator of the whole thing. It was all 'Darling' who made it all possible."

And thus, Kirche related to her mother of how Dante singlehandedly destroyed the Fouquet's best Earth golem with his weapons.

Though how she managed to know the event with such detail, even when she's not there escapes logic.

But then again this story, things tend to, you know… fuck logic.

"Oh my. Mister Dante, with the way my daughter spoke of your feat, it appears that you are quite an amazing man!" Lady Zerbst gleefully praised the devil hunter at his accomplishment.

Accomplishment?

Nah,

To Dante, that was just Tuesday, well, whatever day it was called in this world.

"Well, she might be exaggerating it a bit. They also helped me in it. Besides you can see, I'm just an odd-jobs guy in the end." With a faint smile, Dante waved off the praise.

But the sexy Elder Zerbst won't let him off that easily.

"My, my, my. Such humility. You are most definitely becoming even more interesting to me at every moment as we speak," Lady Zerbst purred, making Connor cough from his position and make Dante raise his eyebrow as he felt something crackle in the air.

Killing Intent.

Dante, prepared himself mentally, while keeping rather civil with the EXTREMELY BUSTY MILF. (Capital letters are for emphasis. In case you spell checkers might point out.)

All the while smiling and nodding at what Lady Zerbst said.

Meanwhile…

Kirche didn't say anything else after she told the story as she tried to bury his arm deeper into her cleavage. Maybe she just didn't want to interrupt her mother since the meeting was apparently going well.

"There is something that strikes my curiosity more than that though," Lady Zerbst continued, running a finger on the skull sword guard of Rebellion which is propped right behind Dante's chair.

"You say that you're a person who works on odd jobs and all but for some reason I find that there is something you're not telling us. And with the abilities that my daughter said that you exhibited, it makes me wonder…"

"Wonder what?"

Dante was noticing a certain glow in her eye, one that Dante had seen on Kirche now and then whenever she was getting in the mood to seduce the crimson-clad hunter.

It's probably pointless to say that he saw a lot of it.

"You really remind me of someone, I just can't point out whom. Are you perhaps a descendant of a certain hero? "She asked quite blatantly, leaning in closer to him.

Oh Shit.

／人◕ .◕人＼

I ran out of breath…

So hence, See you next chapter.

T.B.C.

／人◕ .◕人＼

Author's note:

Somehow, I should be looking for a job, but I ended up typing this.

In case you might notice a change in writing in the style and grammar. There are some of the words I used from "Ye Olde Englishe" just to mess around. Sorry, I have not much time to fix some of it, please help me out at pointing them via PM.

I'm rather tired.

Note/Clue: Something looking so unnecessary might prove necessary later, so take heed of what you read.

Ahahahahahaha

Still have no job. Now if you please, let me brood for a while.

Fuck Life.

DX

Help


	3. Mission 3 : Dog With A Bone

Author's Rant:

Seriously, I never thought I would be able to continue writing this story in ages,

I still have no job,

Still not sure what path shall I take,

But for the moment,

Let me write as much as I can.

Seriously, I'm still trying to regain that style.

I don't take any credit in doing this thing, since I have no intention of earning cash with this thing.

To the anonymous reviewers, many thanks, to all.

Including a certain dumbass,

If you're wondering what style I was trying to do in the last volume, it's a crude imitation of H.P. Lovecraft's writing style. A story filled with broken snippets of seemingly useless clips. But look deeper and you'll see something else.

Read one of Mr. Lovecraft's works, especially his "Call of Cthulhu" it's a fun read.

As for the disclaimer: DMC and FOZ are owned by their respective creators and owners, I'm just reinterpreting the characters to another storyline.

Now…

Let's begin,

Mission 3 : Dog With A Bone

Fantasy Pic : Lady Zerbst is sitting on a stool with her back facing the viewer as she paints on a canvas a portrait of Dante, who is lying on his side on an antique recliner, with his head propped up with his left hand, his right hand holding a goblet of wine.

Did I mention he's nude, with only a red, thin, silken cloth vaguely covering his, rather dangerous lower "regions"?

／人◕ .◕人＼

Excerpt from Louise's bestiary report:

There is a creature known in this world as the Nightfright. It's a faceless, winged creature, a two mail tall beast that has an extremely thin body structure that intrudes and resides in unprotected homes of humans. They tend to hide in the darkest places in houses, such as the attic, closets, under cupboards and beds, where they can easily access humans, most especially children when they sleep. They use some sort of hypnotic suggestion to the victims, by inducing the dreams and/or hallucination of their greatest fears. The resulting energy given off by the frightened targets are then extracted from the victims by literally using its large suction-like mouth which only appears which envelop the target's entire head and sucking the energy from them.

This results for the victim to lose not only their energy, but also some, if not all of their memories. In some cases, the victims developed paralyzing phobias, or in the worst case, driven insane.

Their infestation can be prevented from entering homes by putting specific charms in the doorways and windows. In cases of infestation, an expert at creature/monster extermination might be required to get rid of the pest.

It is unknown whether these creatures have any semblance of intelligence at all, their social life in the wild remains shrouded in mystery. Only their instinctive search for their source of nourishment and feeding methods was all ever researched so far…

**Last time - **

"There is something that strikes my curiosity more than that though," Lady Zerbst continued, running a finger on the skull sword guard of Rebellion which is propped right behind Dante's chair. "You say that you're a person who works on odd jobs and all, but for some reason I find that there is something you're not telling us. And with the abilities that my daughter said that you exhibited, it makes me wonder…"

"Wonder what?"

Dante was noticing a certain gleam in her eye, one that Dante had seen on Kirche every now and then whenever she was getting in the mood to seduce the crimson-clad hunter.

It's probably pointless to say that he saw it a lot of times.

"You really remind me of someone, I just can't recall whom. Are you perhaps a descendant of a certain hero? "She asked quite blatantly, leaning in closer to him.

Oh Sh_t.

**At present -**

That was a statement from the hot redhead MILF that even Dante wasn't expecting.

Dante would have laughed it off, if it weren't for the Lady MILF looking pretty much serious and won't take any bullshit he might do.

But then again, he'll give it a try anyway.

"Hahaha, you've been reading way too much fairy tales, madam. But the truth is that I came from another world where I'm just an ordinary odd-jobs guy." Dante replied with a snicker, though that exactly doesn't answer the question Lady Zerbst.

However, they would just think he was crazy, even if this was a world of magic.

But then again, it's the truth…

If he's asked in another question that is…

"I don't think so. You are the only one I have ever heard of able to fight like that since the Age of Chaos 6,000 years ago; the only explanation is that you have the power of those heroes from long ago,"

"Well, like how would I end up like that?"

She then begins to suggestively lick the teaspoon she was using to stir her tea.

Let's just say, Dante and even Connor got the idea, causing the latter guy to get even more irritated with the devil hunter.

"Let's say that one of the said heroes would probably have a lover, a wife or even a harem of wives? I mean the stories usually handed down to us told of the heroes eventually settled down and live their lives happily, so those heroes getting married wouldn't be off the mark. I'm guessing you descended from one of those heroes?" She suggested,

"Darling, is this true?" Kirche gasped, her eyes wide with surprise.

Again, the devil hunter hears Connor coughing over something, probably getting ready to blow his stack.

Well, having one's having one's fiancée being given away right in front of one's face would do that to anyone.

Hell, Dante wouldn't be surprised if the said Noble will strike him down right away.

"Uh…well…I dunno," Dante scratched his chin with an uncharacteristic shyness, grins and gave an unsure shrug.

The Lady gave such a pretty damn good argument.

Which is rather true since Sparda is one of the heroes mentioned in the stories, though he was not directly named in this world's history.

In popular tales anyway,

Do I have to mention that Dante is one of Sparda's sons?

／人◕ .◕人＼

Dante is still not sure to tell them who he actually is, hence remains unresponsive at the main question.

Which, Lady Zerbst took the devil hunter's silence as a sign of lack of knowledge about his heritage.

"I suppose it would make sense if you didn't know," Lady Zerbst shrugged as she sat back, still looking at Dante with that gleam in her eyes.

"To be the child to a hero who saved our world would be a heavy responsibility to live up to. So probably your parents would try to hide the fact from you, since they probably would like their child to live in relative peace, away from the dangers of a hero's life."

Well, she's not far from the truth, but Dante remained impassive but slightly cocks his head in recognition of her statement, as the busty Lady Zerbst continued.

"Still, I don't see any reason why you can't be treated properly considering you might have the bloodline, and it appears that you've got the magic needed to be considered a noble in Halkeginia." She then put a finger on her chin as she spoke her thoughts to him.

"I'll keep that in mind," Dante coolly replied.

"But still, you could find nobility in Germania," Lady Zerbst suggested, as she leans in close.

"As much as I'm interested in taking that offer, I'll just to clarify one thing. Isn't Nobility defined as, you know…people who can use magic?" Dante playfully asked.

(As mentioned by Kirche herself in a chapter in Season One.)

"Well, generally that's true but in Germania anyone with enough money can buy a noble title, or, if you have a recommendation from a noble family, a Noble peerage of sorts. There is, of course, one other way," She was so close Dante could see down her cleavage and there was a lot of it.

And something else is beginning to show up.

"Just a little more…just a little more." Dante whispered,

"What did you say?" Lady Zerbst asked,

"Nothing. What are you trying to tell me then?" Dante responded in a deadpan voice, doing his best to remain cool.

Was it getting hot in here?

Probably,

It's undoubtedly due to the fact that there were two screwable Germanian beauties were pressing against our hero so damn close at the moment.

"That'll be…Marriage." she finished with full confidence, crossing her arms, making her breasts even more pronounced for our hero to see...

And it doesn't disappoint.

But with the proposition given by the elder Redhead,

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU….

Connor's jaw dropped at the realization that Lady Zerbst is, REALLY selling him out, and is now pushing and approving of Kirche's wish to acquire Dante as a husband.

It also caught Dante off-guard,

Is every girl around who knew Dante, besides Louise and Monmon, out to get him as her husband?

"Huh?" Dante exclaimed, nearly falling off his seat.

**BOOM!**

An explosive force blows the door off to the sitting room, announcing that the explosive mini-mage has just arrived.

"OW!"

With the flying door slamming squarely at Connor…

**"ZERBST, WHERE ARE YOU!"**

Louise's shout was loud and all of them turned to see her stomping their way, pretty reminiscent of a certain King of Monsters on his way to destroy the same city all over again. She was mad but Dante was relieved to see her just the same.

To be honest, Dante has already guessed that Lady Zerbst can be very persuasive when she wants to get something. So much that there might be a chance to get Dante to the Red side…XD

'A timely save…I think." Dante thought as he sighs at relief. The last thing he needs for now is to get hitched unwillingly.

Tucked under her arm was a Book of Magical Spells Research, as well as sheets of paper tucked between the pages as well. No doubt those were some notes she had been working on to improve her skill at magic casting. Dante surmised that she must have been in the middle of studying when she somehow found out about what was happening.

"'Sup, Kid." The now recovered Dante flippantly greets the already angry mage-to-be, adding a gallon gasoline to an already roaring fireplace.

This is not the usual thing that a main character would do when they see the heroine this mad,

But hey, this is Dante. He lives to do whatever he wanted to.

He then noticed something, 'Wait…was that a riding crop in her other hand? And it's glowing…'

Dante tries to stand up, only to be held down by Kirche, with her breasts…

'Oh, hell.'

"Hmph!" Kirche pouted. "Interrupting my time with my Darling again Louise?"

"More like rescuing my Familiar from your corruption!" Louise frowned, coming up to the table. She turned her gaze from Kirche to Dante, who just shrugged.

As if there is more to corrupt with the guy…

**BANG!**

Dante suddenly shoots Ebony, nearly hitting…

The Narrator.

_Whoa there…_

"Don't push it bud." Dante threatened, spinning the black pistol before holstering it.

_Sorry._

_Ehem, back to the scene._

／人◕ .◕人＼

"And you got led along so easily by someone like her?!"

"What can I say? I'm a real ladies' man." Dante replied with a grin as he took a sip of tea, trying or rather acting like a proper "English Gentleman "complete with the English accent.

"UUUUUUUUUUU! What a troublesome guardian being you are..." Louise muttered as she trembled in anger.

Suddenly,

**WHACK! **

Louise furiously strikes the table, causing the heavy, hardwood table to shake at the force, startling both Kirche and Connor, who by the way, is still stuck under the heavy door.…

"S-such P-power…" Connor managed to squeak.

"No excuses!" Louise ranted, her hand trembling in rage over her riding crop.

"My, my, you are definitely Karin's daughter," Lady Zerbst commented idly in her sultry voice, resting her chin in her hand as she casually observed Louise. "You have her hair and her uptight attitude over everything that's even remotely fun."

"What?-!" Louise screeched, her gaze snapping over to Lady Zerbst.

Her face was flushed from fury that she forgot she was talking to Kirche's mother who was in fact one of the upper society of Germania, not simply her rival like Kirche herself was.

"Who are you to say such insulting things about my mother?-!"

"Well, if you are Karin's daughter, then you've probably heard stories about me," Lady Zerbst smiled in that predacious way of hers.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Marguerite Irina Liilith Francesca von Anhalt Zerbst. However, you may know me as Marguerite the Red Inferno."

The effect that Lady Zerbt's runic name had on Louise was instantaneous. Her angry flush vanished in favour of turning deathly pale. Her jaw dropped and her eyes bulged into plates of massive size. She trembled on the spot and dropped everything she was holding. She just stared at Marguerite for a moment before her eyes rolled back into her head and begins to fall down, unconscious.

At this rate of her fall, she'll hit her head on the marble floor…

Good thing she was gently caught by Dante, who for some reason, managed to near-instantaneously dislodged himself from the girls' tight holds and get to Louise before she could get hurt any further.

The scene left the onlookers with shock with Dante's unforeseen feat of speed.

'''**H-he's fast!'''** They all thought simultaneously,

"Whoa there, little lady." Dante said, giving a cowboy accent as he did, holding the unconscious girl, quickly checking her pulse to see her condition.

'Pulse is normal; she's breathing normally, looks like she just passed out from shock. But we still have to get her completely looked at.' Dante thought, as he adjusted his hold on her before standing up,

"Oh dear, it seems the shock was too much for her," Marguerite slightly grimaced as she stood up and walked over to check on Louise as well.

"I suppose Karin wasn't very flattering in her stories about me."

'With the way she reacted, that's an understatement,' Dante thought, as he easily lifted Louise.

'She's so light. Has she been dieting or something? She needs to eat more.' He additionally thought,

For some reason Dante began thinking of a Louise who got too fat that she looked like a fluffy ball with limbs…

'Not THAT MUCH.'

Then he imagined Louise ending up too thin that she's nothing but skin and bones…

'SERIOUSLY? What the hell have I been drinking?'

All this while, during the imagine spot, he remained steadfastly poker-faced.

Mentally shrugging off the thoughts, Dante proceeds to take Louise out of the room.

Before he walked off, he then turns to regard his earlier hosts and said, "As much as I wish to stay and chat, I have a little charge to take care of. Thanks for the company."

With that, Dante left the sitting room, as the other stared at the crimson clad man, bearing the unconscious Louise in a "Princess Cradle" style.

LIKE A BOSS.

／人◕ .◕人＼

Later, in Louise's room,

Dante gently laid Louise on her bed and covers her up to her neck with the blanket,

Siesta was also helping him by putting changing Louise's clothes to her sleepwear, since Dante has no wish to do so if can help it.

Dante puts a wet cloth across Louise's forehead, as he sighed.

Taking care of Louise was one of the duties Dante took up when he took the contract, though he could leave the shrimp so easily behind.

"Don't insult the kid." Dante growled, cocking Ebony, referring to the certain person.

_Sorry._

／人◕ .◕人＼

"Man, but she's really knocked out," Dante said as he looked at her lying form. She looked comatose.

"Well, let's take care of this one. Shall we?" Dante declares as he whipped out the familiar golden cloth.

Thanks to the Golden Fleece Devil Relic, Dante has managed to restore Louise's health, and is now sleeping peacefully.

"The shock must've been immense," Siesta noted, regarding the fact that the mini-mage is still sleeping.

"No doubt about it," Dante agreed.

He might need to ask around for some details about Kirche's mother. 'What did she say her runic name was? Marguerite the Red Inferno? As Dante remembered Louise's mother's runic name; Karin the Heavy Wind. People didn't get names like that without reason.

Nobles which displayed impressive abilities were given runic names to show how powerful they were once they've gained a reputation. Guiche himself got a runic name for how well he could craft his bronze golems.

He could understand Louise really would get angry at him at that moment for the possibility of leaving her for them, which Dante had no intention of doing.

She was really ready to explode with then and there, until she heard of that runic name. Louise had been so terrified that she just fainted. Who knew she could get frightened by just a runic name? Well, her mother may not have painted such a pretty picture of Marguerite and if Louise reacted with fear instead of anger in the face of a Zerbst, Louise's mother had pretty much given Louise a mental image of Marguerite being a total monster.

Just how fierce was the rivalry between Valliere and Zerbst?

To the extent, that her mother went the extra mile ending up totally mentally scarring poor Louise.

He will have to discuss this with the said parent sometime later.

"Rule of steel, my ass."

"All we can do now is let her rest," Siesta sighed, finishing with the wet cloth. "Just what was it that could have shocked Miss Valliere so much? She is usually so steadfast in the face of anything."

"Kirche's mother introduced herself," He replied, sitting at the tea table as he looked at the antique mirror and box, which he kept around, just to remind him of his parents' love.

He can still be quite sentimental, you know.

"Louise must have heard of her or something, probably from her mother."

"I heard that the Zerbsts and Vallieres have a strong dislike of one another," Siesta nodded. "We see it all the time in Louise and Kirche. The stories their parents must have told them…"

"Are worse than the usual Boogeyman tales," Dante agreed.

"Umm, what's a Boogey-man?" Siesta asked as she poured beer on Dante's mug.

"It's supposed to be a creature that hides in the bedroom closets and under beds. And said to scare children and feed off their fears or something." Dante said as he takes a swig.

"Well, if that's what they are," Siesta said as she picks up the beautiful, jewel-studded mirror.

Unfortunately, she what she picked up is the Umbra Mirror.

"They're real. And here they're called Nightfrights." The maid said, as her expression darkened,

"Seriously?" Dante asked, and as he turned to see Siesta, who is looking at Dante's heirloom, the antique box, where he had the Umbra mirror locked in.

"By the way," Dante then changed the topic as he noticed a subtle change in Siesta's expression, "How are you feeling today?"

"I-I, well…"

"I could guess, you're going through something that you probably can't talk about…" Dante then surmised as he returns to refill his drink.

"Ah, not really, Dante-san, but I would really like to ask you is…" the maid lowered her head as her face reddened,

"Is?"

"Being a strong person, how does it feel to be one?"

Dante was asked by some people for some time about this…

All he could say is,

"Well, I can't exactly say I know how it feels. There are various things and thoughts occurring to those who are strong. But for me, it is like having the confidence that you can protect and support your loved ones with all you have." Dante said thoughtfully as he gave a slightly bitter smile, as he remembered his twin brother, who also sought strength. It was later he realized that Vergil was not doing this for his own ends , but to protect someone precious to him.

That was one of the few regrets he had in life, his youth prevented hi m to think straight and could have found another way to resolve the crises other than brute force.

But then again, that's the way the story ended, it can't be helped.

Dante sighed, as the maid noticed a tinge of sadness in Dante's voice as he stated his mind regarding strength.

Siesta realized that, although Dante has been with probably scores with allies, yet in the end, he fights alone.

'I certainly hope that someday, I will be your strength.' She thought as she placed her hands on Dante's her cheeks slightly blushing,

'For now, please wait for me.'

Dante also found the atmosphere of the room change into something of a romantic vibe. As such, he found it rather inappropriate at the time due to the place, as well as Louise's condition.

"Thanks for listening to an old man's rambles." Dante half-joked,

"You're don't look that old." Siesta said as she walked closer to that beautifully lacquered box to admire it. Unseen by the maid, locks begun to glow blue as the locks went…

'You wouldn't believe how old I am.' Dante said as he nursed his beer mug, and drinks.

CLICK…

／人◕ .◕人＼

Speaking of Nightfrights…

In another part of Tristain, the Glowcap village is assaulted by fear of the creatures that stalked in the night, the Nightfrights. This particular village was once quite famous for the gaily Glowcap forest's mating season as they release the glowing spores into the world, performing a spectacular lightshow once a year.

For the past four years, there has not been any sign of celebrations whatsoever, not even any signs of life.

That is until the creatures came and took it as their nest.

At this point there have been more than twenty victims whose futures were taken from them forever as they were driven mad by the Nightfright's predations. They feed on life energy given off as the victims were either given hallucinations of their greatest fears when awake, or nightmares when they're asleep.

At present, most of the villagers have evacuated the place, leaving only those who have nowhere else to go to stay, and live with fear.

Due to the growing loss of their main source of food, psychic energy drawn from human fear, they turned to feast on the next best thing.

The human flesh.

Night falls once more as a black-cloaked androgynous figure, bearing a long bundle strapped behind him, walks alone through the empty town square. "Where is everybody?" He mutters to himself in a quite jolly voice, as he looks around the now empty town square. The handful of the remaining villagers was afraid to stay out after dark, since the Nightfrights became more aggressive than ever. Hence, the village becomes akin to a ghost town, and was left to rot.

Looks like the traveller didn't get the memo.

A crack of a breaking branch is a tell-tale sign that the cloaked figure that he's no longer alone.

A barely audible thump, then a low growl could be heard.

Something landed somewhere nearby just right behind the cloaked traveller.

The cloaked figure then slowly and nonchalantly turns around and sees a pretty horrible sight.

Standing at least 2 mails (FYI: Halkagenian meter) tall, is a filthy blackness given semblance to a human form, albeit it is more like a caricature of a form. With unnaturally long, thin limbs ending in sickle like talons. Eyeless, and lacks the usual things that make up a face, the totally alien visage gives it a sense of disbelief as to how the damned thing survive with lack of basic senses, as well as a means to feed itself. It has an appendage similar to a pair of batwings folded like a robe. Its entire form seems to be wet with what seems to be black pitch like fluid. And the thing smelled sickeningly sweet. In its near invisible mouth hangs its latest prey. A boy of probably 9 years old, who appears to be dead by now, with his entire head engulfed by that abominable mouth.

"So, are you the one who caused this?" The cloaked figure asked the shambling horror.

The creature shambled on, not answering the query, drops its "food" moves toward the traveller, its claws now outstretched, ready to grasp its latest prey.

All the while, the figure in black cloak remained still as a monolith. It is then unknown whether the figure is frozen with terror or has a deathwish.

Then, a multitude of barely audible thumps could be heard, as large number of shadows with forms similar to the shambling creature arrived out of nowhere.

A whole herd of Nightfrights slowly shambles toward their single target.

At this point, their rather primitive minds are beginning to sense that something is amiss. For they couldn't sense anything resembling utter fear from them, their source of food, that was supposed to be emanating from the cloaked traveller.

"Are you feeling lucky today, Devil bastards?" The cloaked traveller's voice suddenly changed from a jolly tone to a somewhat hollow tone, a voice that echoes through an empty metal shell.

"You're messing with the wrong guy."

With that said, the creatures all at once growled as they quickly converged upon the cloaked traveller.

Although obviously outnumbered, the traveller isn't even worried about the situation and stood his ground.

The first monster powerfully swipes with its talons with inhuman speed, with the intention of bringing down the traveller…

Only to be blocked by the cloaked traveller with left hand, this resounded like something striking metal, and retaliates with a right open palm strike with such force that sent the devilish creature flying and crashing into an empty shed. Beneath the darkened hood, a single right red eye glows with baleful malice. Then, sparks of lightning began to course though the cloaked body as the figure readies to defend.

From then on, the traveller's point of view, time seemed to slow down to a snail's pace. The next monster though that it can overpower the stranger with a pounce, only to have its efforts wasted as the cloaked traveller with inhuman speed caught the Nightfright by its slender neck with one hand, and used the momentum of the creature's attack by smashing the monster in his hand into two of its fellows behind it. Then two more pounced from behind him, rewarding them with neckbreaking chokeholds and slamming them to their compatriots with such force that they literally fell to pieces. The grisly countermove shocked the rest of the creatures and broke the ranks of the monsters, providing an opening for the cloaked traveller leap through, escaping the ring of Nightfrights.

Even as he attacked the Nightfrights, the small arcing lightning bolts continued to course throughout his body as his moves are way too fast for the Nightfrights to even comprehend.

Two other, possibly more agile Nightfrights quickly reached out to grab the cloaked traveller as he passed by them, resulting of their outstretched limbs to be torn off their sockets by the traveller, who then used the severed limbs to club, three more of the monsters to black paste.

After the pilfered limbs grew too soft to use, the cloaked figure began tearing from the remaining Nightfrights of their limbs and beat them dead with it.

The monsters, undeterred with the revelation that the traveller is no mere prey, continued their suicidal rush at the traveller, who simply dodged their attempts with the ever slightest of movements, and retaliating with outmost force, using either the severed limbs of the creatures to beat them to a pulp, or his bare hands to cave their faces with, in a whirlwind of movements.

"You're not even worthy of drawing my weapon to." He said as he backhands the last remaining Nightfright's head off.

After the creature fell dead, the cloaked traveller dusts himself off, his clothes devoid of the carnage that he brought upon the flock of the Nightfrights.

A brief moment of silence was broken as a sound of something large moving along the trees, just outside the square.

Under the moonlight, a nightmarish, 20 mail tall Nightfright tries to fly off to escape, with a necklace of shrivelled human bodies, all dripping with black ichor and its belly heavy with its last meal, it moved rather sluggishly as it took the skies like a grisly mockery of a bird.

A whizzing sound could be heard as something tears through the air.

And the bat-like wings of the huge creature were clipped by a sharp air blade slash, caused by the cloaked traveller.

With a desperate roar, the beast falls from the sky as the cloaked traveller stood right behind where it will fall to.

"Ah, there's the bitch! I was here for the light show, but I suppose you'll have to do. I hope you can be as entertaining."

These were the last words he said as he draws something from within his cloak a case. In it is a curved long sword with a rather large sheath. The top most part of the sheath before the sword guard and the sheath meet has a large trigger and a large rifle like gun magazine right under the "trigger", where the cloaked traveller held the strangely designed scabbard with his left grip.

Bolts of lightning gathered at his feet as he assumes a sword drawing stance. And in a blink of the eye, the cloaked traveller is now running across the falling Nightfright, slashing his drawn weapon, a long, dark-pink hued blade, which cut deeply and with precision.

The pieces of the chopped up creature fell like sickening slops of rottenness on the ground, as the cloaked figure landed away from the carnage.

While dramatically swinging his sword which shook the blood off in the process, he performs a thumbs-down with his left hand as the rest of the chopped creature lands in a loud, wet, crash.

"Nothing like killing monsters in the wee hours to get the blood running…" his strange, ominous tone of voice quickly reverted into a cheery one as he spoke.

"That is, if I had blood coursing in me." He chuckled, as the corpses of the beasts' turn to Red Orbs, which was drawn into the traveller, apparently absorbed by his body. The lightning sparks gradually died down as the threat appears to have been finally neutralized.

As strong wind blows as the cloaked traveller ended looking up to the sky, the Glowcap plants have begun their annual mating season, sending their glowing spores with a rainbow of colors flying into the winds, painting the skies as if it were canvas.

It was a breathtaking scene; it was as if the plants-the forest itself is celebrating their liberation from the dark-oppression that has been on them for some time.

The cloaked traveller sighs, as he said "How do you like the show, Louise?"

A moment of silence occurs before a musical humming could be heard.

From the distance, he could see a dark blue coat billowing in the night wind, as it leaped from one treetop to another.

It slowly faded into the night, until now a single trace of it was discernible.

His main prey has appeared, and escaped him again.

"I guess our job's done here." The cloaked figure said as he now removed his hood, revealing a white haired head, as the scene turns to white.

／人◕ .◕人＼

Siesta was surprised to see the box open by itself, revealing its only content.

A mirror encrusted by myriads of colourful precious stones carefully arranged into the shape of a Monarch Butterfly.

With her innate curiosity, Siesta then proceeds to take the mirror out of the box.

Normally, the maid will never do such things as to take something such as this…

Yet, for some reason, the mirror seemed to be calling for her…

Telling Siesta that the said mirror was meant to be,

Hers.

Dante was quite absorbed at the things that happened so far that he wasn't able to notice what is going on behind him.

Then the devil hunter remembered something.

"Siesta, about…"

His sentence was cut short as he turned to see…

Siesta is staring into the Umbra Mirror.

"Oh, Cra-"

And before he knew it, the beam of light stuck and envelops the young maid

Time seemed to stand still as the maid floats amidst the blue aura of light and blue orbs of light have begun emanating from the mirror, swirling around her and Dante as well as the sleeping Louise, who was unable to do anything at that moment.

Even if he wanted to do something, his Quicksilver Style was rendered useless.

Dante could almost swear that she heard a woman's voice that said,

"Contract has been completed. Welcome to the Order, young Siesta."

Then, before Dante realized it, he found himself sitting right where he was earlier, drinking beer at the table right next to Louise's bed, while Siesta is tending to Louise, who is still asleep.

'What the heck was that?' Dante thought, as he tried to recall what exactly happened, or seem to happen seconds prior to this.

Looking at the young maid as she diligently tidies up Louise before sitting on a small stool right beside the mini-mage.

'Did that actually happen?'

The mind-boggled Dante then, surmised that something might have occurred to Siesta, he asked the maid,

"Uh, Siesta?"

The maid looks up from putting a new wet cloth on Louise's head.

"Yes?"

Dante was so sure that something happened…

But he just can't put his finger on it.

"Uh, nothing."

Dante then quickly found a way to excuse him from the situation.

"I'll go get a fresh bucket of water. That one's probably getting warm by now. I won't be out for long." He said as he quickly took the bucket from the bedside and got out of the room.

"Mn," Siesta nodded. "Thank you."

As much as he would have preferred to use his day playing around girls at times, it seemed now Dante was on bedside duty.

Oh well. There were worse fates. Such as staying in hell, getting killed out of boredom.

Well that and ending up still sandwiched between Kirche and her mother.

That was a position one could call being on marshmallow hell.

Trying not to think about where that would lead, Dante heaved a sigh as he walked out the door with the bucket.

Nodding, he took the bucket of warming water and headed to refill it with a cooler batch.

'Hopefully I wouldn't get any more surprises today.' Dante thought,

Leaving behind Siesta, and the sleeping Louise,

A mysterious glowing symbol, once again appears behind the maids back, albeit now it nearly covers her back.

If Dante would see it, he will certainly flip.

For you see, Dante and Siesta is now…

／人◕ .◕人＼

Dante was at the fountain, filling the bucket for Louise when felt someone walk up behind him.

"You're still here? Color me surprised-" Dante quipped, barely looking at the newcomer,

He turned around to find a familiar face looking at him. "Mister Connor, I presume?"

"You, what is your relationship with Kirche?" he asked, scowling and not wasting any time for idle chatter.

Dante sighed for the umpteenth time.

Considering Dante had more important things to deal with, like taking care of Louise, he just doesn't need another thing to deal with for the day.

"Mind if we talk about this later?" Dante irately but politely asked.

It was getting late already. And he didn't want to have to deal with a flip-top match with a noble over a girl.

If any other day, perhaps. But at this point, he's not really into it as of this moment.

"No, we cannot," he denied Dante's hopes for leaving the issue for later. "Now, I ask you again, what is your relationship with her?"

Dante facepalms himself with annoyance, feeling the urge to blow the guy off but knew that he couldn't without some kind of insult to his pride which may end with a duel.

He didn't want to have to fight a viscount since winning may open a new sack of political snakes that he just didn't want to deal with, since that might affect Louise, as well as her family.

Add to the fact that he was Germanian in Tristain and it might turn into an international incident.

Still, he was tempted to just say Kirche and Dante screwed like horny dogs every night just to piss him off. However, his inner jerk-ass isn't feeling it right now.

"As of this time, Kirche and I are just friends," he finally replied.

"Despite her **numerous** advances, we have not engaged in any sort of scandalous behaviour beyond what you had seen today.

Save for that one time she had Flame drag him to her room.

"I'm sorry if you're upset that she decided to pay some kind of romantic attention to me, but her own mother stated she's free to pursue anyone she wishes."

"And your intentions towards her?" he pressed, growing more sour at Dante's reply.

It is likely that Connor's just looking for anything other than an outright denial of a relationship with Kirche would have made him happy.

Happy enough to kill Dante that is.

"Right now, I am content with our relationships state," the devil hunter finally replied to the viscount's question. And shrugs as he said "Well to be honest, I don't know if it will become romantic in the future or not, so we'll just have to wait and see."

**"Kirche is my fiancée,"** Connor growled, stepping up to Dante so close that Dante's vision was nearly engulfed by his face.

"Not according to her mother," Dante quipped back. "And I'll concede to her judgement in this situation rather than yours right now."

"**You, You Dirty MONGREL!"** Connor snarled, looking so mad the Dante could almost swear that this guy is belching smoke from his nostrils. The raging Noble Germanian is still standing way too close to Dante, very much like a prelude to an MMA matchup, only there's no referee in sight.

'Alright,' Dante thought, 'this has gone far enough. It is ON!'

"I suggest you get off my face this instant, or I will peel it off for you." Dante's earlier impassive face suddenly turns into a feral grin, as his icy-blue eyes began to take a shade of red.

With that said, it seemed that Dante had made him madder.

Maybe because he was not used to anyone he felt below his station talk back to him in this manner.

Either way, he took it as an insult to his pride. I guess I could have been a bit more tactful, but he as rubbing me the wrong way. "I challenge you to a duel!"

"You're challenging me to a duel? Why? Did I hurt you teeny weeny feelings?" Dante said as it was clear now that he has the upper hand in the taunting department.

"Duel huh?" Dante makes a motion of thinking, as he crossed his arms, then said, "How about, No?"

"No?" he questioned, outraged, "What do you mean no?"

"No, as in, you know, **I refuse**," Dante retorted.

Throughout his life as a warrior, Dante learnt to pick battles and this was one that wasn't worth anything except to satisfy this guy's pride.

He was tolerable when he was polite, but now he was really tempting the devil hunter to beat his face in.

Well, Dante thought they may not actually have to go that far and to duel, and Dante's actually considering to let this guy go to save the Germanian guy's face, both figuratively and literally.

Unfortunately, Viscount Connor wasn't about to give up. He removed his glove and tossed it at his face. The fabric slapped him and calmly looked at him before picking it up out of sheer reflex.

"Aha! You have accepted!" he declared victoriously.

Oh…what a douchebag.

Remembering Halkeginian history, he once read that nobles would throw a glove down to declare a challenge and by picking up the glove one had accepted. It seems that this whole place was very closely related to Dante's own world's Medieval Europe in more ways than one.

Dante sighed once more, showing a lot more tolerance than ever,

"You do realize it's forbidden for duels between nobles to be conducted here, right?"

"Oh, but you admitted it yourself that you are not one. Of course there is suspicion you are from a fallen royal bloodline," he countered.

"Regardless, you have accepted so prepare yourself. Tomorrow, at noon, at the Vestri Court we duel."

"How about right now, Viscount." Dante retorted,

Unknown to the devil hunter, and the rest of the Academy, out of a ripple of the air, a shadow arrived and sneaks into the academy…

／人◕ .◕人＼

It was with a distinct sense of Déjà vu that Dante found himself walking back into the Vestri Court with the intent of duelling someone. Not that he minded since, this is a good excuse and a chance to stretch out and beat someone.

The last time he had done something like this, he was dealing with a suave schoolboy who had wanted to save face in light of being revealed as a playboy. Needless to say, the fop was thoroughly beaten then.

This was going to be drastically different. This time Dante was squaring off against a Viscount once more. He had likely been fully trained as a magic-user and likely had connections with the military, meaning that he was no stranger to battle, similar to Viscount Wardes.

There was also a much bigger crowd this time, including numerous members of the serving staff. Siesta was not on attendance as she was taking care of Louise at the time, but there so were many other maids and even some of the cooking staff, including the head chef who was likely his biggest fan next to Siesta. He could even see some of the teachers attending. At one side was Kirche and her mother with several girls whispering excitedly around them. Both Zerbst women looked downright excited at what was going to happen, although Kirche seemed more animated than her mother who seemed more observant.

"Well, this is just great," he muttered to myself as he cracked his knuckles in preparation to beat this guy silly.

He approached the large audience and found that Connor wasn't in attendance yet. Well, that was just fine with him anyway since the devil hunter didn't want to have to fight him in the first place. Maybe if he was lucky he had him scared off by setting the time of the duel way too early than Connor had expected.

Okay, it was a pretty pathetic idea but Dante really didn't want to be here! Especially with Louise on the bed.

**WHOOOSH!**

Dante's thoughts were cut off as a tornado kicked up in the middle of the circle of onlookers. Naturally, everyone backed away as they tried to shield their eyes. The wind was there for only a moment before it died down.

"Took you long enough. Where have you been, at the little girls' powder room?" Dante taunted, sounding not too impressed.

Blinking the dryness out of their eyes, the crowd looked to where the tornado had begun and found Dante's opponent staring back at him, looking as pristine as ever. Several white feathers rained down from above, making the devil hunter and many others look up to spot a white winged ram-horned Manticore flying away from the area. Apparently Connor also liked to make a spectacle of himself.

"I see you had the spine to face me," Connor nodded. "Good. At least you have courage befitting the role Lady Zerbst believes you hold."

"That's my line pal," Dante sighed.

It seems Lady Zerbst and I were going to have to talk about her theory. Shaking his head, Dante coldly stared down Connor,

"Anything goes, then?" Dante stated the rules of the duel,

"Anything is permitted, but just so you know, no weapon you have shall defeat me," the viscount retorted sharply. He raised his sword up so that it was parallel to his face, the tip pointing up.

"Today you don't face some simple thief! You face a Viscount of Germainia! You face, Connor the Sundowner!"

"An honour, I'm sure," Dante nodded sarcastically. Reaching to his back, Dante took hold of Rebellion,

This is where Derflinger, who still haven't talked since last episode spoke,

"Hey partner, why don't you use me?"

"He's not worth your blade,"

The sword made a movement that looked like it shrugged, as if it had shoulders,

"If you say so…" and fell silent again.

For a minute or so, the fighters stood immobile, waiting for the first guy to move…

"Well, are we gonna just stand here or are we gonna fight?" Dante boredly said,

Kirche watched in anticipation as her Darling cockily walks to his opponent. She could feel the anticipation practically ready to burst from her skin. She couldn't wait to have her mother see how well her darling performed.

"You'll love this, Mother," she grinned.

"From the way you're acting, I dare say I will," the elder Zerbst commented, her eyes not leaving her daughter's new fixation.

At the level of confidence that Dante is exuding, Connor licked his lips in anticipation of the battle.

Still, he couldn't let his opponent know that he had become slightly rattled by the Dante's unshakeable stance.

Dante was about to move in when suddenly someone came rushing through the throng of the crowds calling his name,

"**DANTE-SAN! DANTE SAN!"**

Dante had a bad feeling about this,

Siesta arrived at the front of the on looking crowd as she shouted,

"It's Louise!"

Dante's stomach felt that it sank as he felt something ominous from the room Louise is in.

"Wait, can we call off this battle?" Dante asked his opponent, as his concern right now is not in the battle.

"No."

The sense of urgency grew as Dante felt something is amiss,

Why didn't he sense it earlier?

The heck happened?

Is the shadow organization the Veil said to be operating began to do something and is now targeting Louise?

Looking up, he sees the Viscount haughtily brandishing the sword-wand as he suddenly lunges out of the blue.

The son-of-a-dog wanted to off him.

And from his free hand, 2 foot long thin blade slips out from beneath his wrists, a hidden blade was revealed as the Noble aims the said weapon to the devil hunter's heart.

Unfortunately for him, Dante is a lot better versed with close quarter combat than he previously showed,

Letting Rebellion fall down to the ground, Dante caught the Noble's sword hand and with a simple twist of the wrist, using his strength to totally overpower the Noble and easily disarms the man. He then redirects the bladed left arm away from his body, plants a three-point blow to the torso, front kicks Connor's stomach, sending the poor cheating Nobleman doubling over.

The movement was so fast that those series of moves were performed in a blink of an eye.

As the finishing touch, Dante performs an unheard of maneuver to the end the duel turned sour. He places the opponents jaw on his shoulder in an overhead face-lock position. Then suddenly drops to the ground in a sitting position, impacting the victims jaw and larynx into his shoulder blade.

**SLAM!**

Needless to say, the opponent gets knocked out as the impact knocked the wind out of him, ending the Noble to fly through the air from the move and fell in an unconscious heap.

**AND THE CROWD GOES WILD….**

Cheers Explodes from the watchers as Dante once again vanquished another haughty Noble.

Truly he is the People's Champ.

"Taste my Stone-cold Stunner. And that's the bottomline, cause I said so." Dante grinned as he looked down on the fallen Nobleman, confirming the win,

Upon making certain that the Noble was incapacitated, Dante lost no time to Air Trick back to Louise's room, and sees a pretty horrendous sight.

On top of the bed, near Louise's head was a faceless winged humanoid creature which Louise had mentioned earlier in her report.

The creature, a Nightfright, is currently munching on her psionic energy by clamping its near unperceivable mouth onto her head, pretty much like a vise-like grip.

A Nightfright at the daytime?

The only way Dante could pry off the said creature off Louise is for the girl to wake up on her own accord. Any move Dante might make, will render the mini-mage into a raving lunatic.

"I believe this is my win," A harsh, inhuman simulacrum of a voice through his head spoke

"Demon Scum!" Dante grits his teeth in anger, more at himself for letting his guard down.

But still, he had a few cards on his hand he could play with.

／人◕ .◕人＼

Louise found herself floating in an empty, dark space.

"What is your name?" A soft melodious voice echoed through space, possibly directed to Louise.

A swirl of colors washed all over the dark space, causing Louise to began to feel something strange might happen next.

Then a cacophony of voices droned questions,

"What is your name?"

"Why Are You Here?"

"What do you wish for?"

"What are you?"

Louise covered her ears at the noise,

Then as the voices rose to their highest pitch…

Then came…

The silence.

It was a rather comfortable feeling as Louise's eyes began to adjust in the darkness as she is beginning to see various kaleidoscopes of moving images strewn through that space, very much like a chaotic theatre.

One particular scene first caught Louise's attention, a place she might have recognized, yet she could have sworn she had never seen it in her life.

As if willed by Louise herself, she was drawn into the scenery…

Lightning flashes arced throughout the skies, illuminating the entire ruins of what looked like a castle. It was not too different to the castles Louise had seen before. But this one, seemed to have faced a disaster quite recently.

Louise found herself standing amongst the rubble, as the rain falls heavily on everything, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled, the weather turning the already gloomy place into a scene of total despair.

Around her, she saw smoke billowing from fires unseen, unquenched by the falling rain. There is also that smell that so overpowering that she could faint right on the spot.

Yet for some reason she held on, true to her heritage as the daughter of the renowned Karin.

For some reason, Louise felt like she's not herself as she felt that she is looking for someone she had no idea who, yet still something quite important to her…

"Louise! Louise! Louise!"

She heard a frantic cry calling her name from behind the rubble.

Although the one being called might not be her, somehow, it could be her.

Louise ran through the wreckage and then clambered across the ruins trying to find the source of the voice…

The voice she had always heard in her dreams before.

As she drew near, she could even discern that the voice is sobbing, crying as he continued to cry out for her name.

"Come back Louise, Please!"

Then she came to see the place lighted by the flashes of lightning, a kneeling form of a man in a puddle of mud. By the looks of his now dirtied, ruined clothes and cape, he seemed to be a Noble, yet his hair appears black.

Who is this man?

As she moved closer, Louis can see that the man is also cradling someone, a woman's prone body, whose locks have the same shade as hers. She has a gaping wound on her side. Her lifeless eyes stare into the darkened sky.

There she lay as the man's shoulders shook as he held tightly on the now obvious corpse of the woman.

Who bears the same face as her, if not only a bit older.

The truth finally dawned into her. There's no mistake about it, Louise could feel it in her heart.

The dead woman was or is Louise herself.

Louise is left confused at this as she tries to think trying to make sense with all of this.

Is this what the future holds for her?

If so, where is Dante?

Where is her guardian?

Where is everyone?

Then the man who held Louise looked up to her.

It was the face of the boy, albeit older that she always saw in her dreams, someone she called Sai- something,

But the man himself seems to be losing his life as he is also suffering from a fatal wound…from a sword impaling him to the wall through his heart. Louise had no idea how this man has managed to stay alive with such fatal injuries.

The man continued to look at her in rage…

No, not at her but at something behind her…

She turns around, and saw what the man has been looking at.

To her horror, she what she sees in the sky was a flaming, gargantuan snake-like eye. There it floats, watching over hordes of the abominable monsters of various shapes, size and forms that are not supposed to exist.

Beneath them were countless corpses of people in various stages of decomposition.

Only then she could finally realize that the weird smell she almost fainted at was actually the smell of death.

The man yells in pain as he tries to pry out the sword impaling him, causing his wounds to worsen as he did.

With a final grunt, he pulled the full length of it out of his body and wielded it, in a futile gesture of defending an already cold corpse.

He speaking something, in a language she couldn't comprehend…and stumbles forward in a suicidal rush to fight an unwinnable battle against these abominable creatures.

Then, the cacophony of voices began to torment Louise once more…

"Who are you?"

"What is your name?"

"Why are you here?"

"What do you wish for?"

"You're not supposed to be here."

Then the last voice whispered to Louise's ears harshly,

"WHAT ARE YOU?"

"I…" Louise struggled for words as she was utterly confused with the vision shown to her.

Is it something that will happen to her in the near future?

If so, will this truly be her fate?

At once, her body began to tremble, as Louise felt like something within her is twisting her entirety, changing her body.

Into what?

Looking down to herself, she could see her arms, to her horror, have begun transforming into slightly larger, glowing talons. And started to move as if it has its own mind and began to grasp into the air, in apparent adulation for its coming into the world.

It is also true to the rest of her body, which is now turning into a creature not of this world.

Louise fell down on her knees, as more pain shot up through her tiny body.

The Founder knows how the little mage could endure such pain.

'It can't be…' she gasped

"**WHAT ARE YOU?" **The voice harshly whispered on her ear, this time she could clearly discern that it was her own voice.

Suddenly, she could see the glowing image of her own self floating away, with her arms outstretched as if trying to rescue Louise from her own fate. Her eyes show great sorrow as it…disappears from Louise's sight.

'No. Don't go. Don't leave me in this place!' Louise begged in her thoughts as she presently found out that she can no longer use her voice…

In panic, she tries mustering her strength to scream, but instead, a bestial roar issued from her now fanged maw which rang loud and long through the ruins and to the heavens.

Thus, announcing the birth of a new Devil.

She was about to sink deeper into despair when suddenly, someone grabs her hand.

'No, I cannot be saved anymore. Please don't look at me.'

Resist she did but the grip on her hand remained firm.

"JAAAANGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEW ! WEEEEEWEEEEEEEEEEEW !"

She was suddenly snapped from the dream, just as she was about to go towards the hordes of demons.

It was the familiar, yet strange, as it happens to be her usual way for her guardian being to wake her up. It could only described as an extremely distorted music made from a stringed instrument, only it was played in a quick and powerful cadence.

(Dante plays – Nothing Else, By One OK ROCK, electric guitar cover version)

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?!" Louise screams awake, as she clapped her hands to her ears to lessen the ear damage.

Looking towards the source of the disturbance, she sees a white-haired, crimson coated man playing what appeared to be a large, strangely shaped purple lute, with bats as its main motif, whose strings looked more like strands of crackling lightning. the Devil-Arm, Nevan.

Then a flood of memories came upon the diminutive mage, as she realized where she was...

In her room.

She's with Dante.

She's still human.

And she's safe.

Beside her, was the dissipating corpse of a Nightfright, leaving behind a bunch of red, orb like things which flew towards Dante.

So that explained her crazy nightmare.

But it was said that the dreams the Nightfright brings are of things to come...

Will those events come to pass?

If it weren't for Dante's timely rescue, she might have ended up a mindless lunatic.

But why is a Nightfright hanging around here?

She will be asking about it later.

She breathes a sigh of relief, as Siesta then asked. "M'selle Vallierre, are you alright?"

Dante also looks at his charge worriedly, as he dispels Nevan, with the instrument's purpose was served.

"You were having a nightmare so I had to wake you up." Dante grinned, "Sorry for the way I did."

Louise shook her head, as she said "I'm f-fine now, thanks for waking me up."

As Louise blinked, she seemed that she could still see the visions in her dreams…

The impaled swordsman, holding on to his deceased charge who was courageously facing insurmountable odds, all by himself.

If the corpse was to be Louise, what merit did she have to be protected by the man?

What did the man say before he attacked the hellish army?

This mystery was for Louise to ponder in the future…

Maybe.

She blinks her eyes.

Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

After her third blink of her eyes, the terrible visions were gone.

Taking another deep breath and the worries were set aside, as a wash to relief envelops her being, knowing that whatever the future will hold, it can worry about itself. For now, she's safe as long as Dante, her ever vigilant guardian, and her family is behind her every step of the way.

"Can I get you anything?" A clearly worried Dante asks,

"A strawberry sundae would be nice."

"Wish Granted." Dante grinned as he produced the said confection, which made Louise's eyes sparkle once more.

Dante smiled as Louise is now happily attacking the sundae, and was about to say something witty, but…

Suddenly...

GLOMP!

"Darling, that was incredible!" Kirche cheered, blindsiding me with her breasts once again. "Mother, isn't he wonderful?"

"You shameless tramp!" Louise shouted in outrage at the sight. However, her angry scowled quickly turned into an expression of terror as she saw Lady Zerbst coming.

"Dante of the odd jobs," said Lady Zerbst as she looked at him. She was looking at me from top to bottom, making him feel like a slab of meat on display again. Hearing about it was one thing, but seeing it in action was something else altogether. To her Dante had shown to be strong enough to face Nobles, and with the skills he just shown, he could be a Noble as well. Somehow, Dante could guess what her intentions were from the look in her eyes.

SMOOSH!

His head ended up trapped between two sets of breasts and if he wasn't quite immortal, he would've suffocated.

"Welcome to the family, son-in-law!" said Lady Zerbst.

What!-?

"WHAT!-?" Louise shrieked, her fear forgotten in her outrage over a Zerbst trying to steal away her Familiar. Her hand was trembling more now with that ever-present riding crop in her hand growing ever more ominous.

'Oh hell.'

Maybe it would've been better if he had lost.

While Kirche and Lady Zerbst were attempting to mould the image of his head into their breasts, he gave into the temptation and activated the power of the Cerberus. The cool winds blow from behind Dante and formed into blue cool chains. He had them gently wrap around the waists of both Kirche and her mother before managing to pry them off of him and lifting them high into the air. While Dante watched them hang in the air for a moment, He couldn't help but be reminded of certain anime films of a more adult nature…

"Ooh, chains. How kinky," Lady Zerbst cooed, smiling quite saucily, as she observes the chains which acted like tentacles as well as an extension of her new target, Dante, gently coiled around her waist.

"Kirche, would you mind if I borrowed him after you've had your turn?"

Louise couldn't help but gape at what she had just heard. Was she hearing things?

"Hmm," Kirche commented, tracing a finger along the chain tentacle which was holding her. "Maybe.

Okay, so she wasn't hearing things.

And thus, Kirche just had an inspiration for her next novel, heck she even had a title set - The Knight's Lewd Chains.

More like she didn't want to hear it.

Louise could swear that although Dante carried an aloof expression at the moment,

HE WAS SMIRKING.

／人◕ .◕人＼

A few distance from Tristain Magic Academy, a man hidden in the shadows emerge. It was Cobalt, who is silently stalking an oncoming carriage, and as the Chestnut brown carriage, passed by, one could clearly discern the symbol borne by the Livery. It was the symbol of the Count Des Ornières.

A Dark Shield that depicts on its surface a Wolfhound's head, in it's mouth is a combat dagger of strange design. This dagger has a one edge which is sleek and sharp and the other edge of the knife has saw like teeth.

／人◕ .◕人＼

Authors Corner:

After a long time of getting pissed off, I finally wrote another chapter, to those who painfully waited. Thanks, sorry for taking so long to update. I apologize if this is what I have managed to write at the moment, feel free to send me PM's if there are any typos or pretty weird sentences you might find…I would be glad to fix it, whenever I could.

I only have two eyes, you see.

And a new character has begun to show himself as a capable fighter, just who the hell is this guy?

Even I have no answers due to the fact that I just typed this thing just now.

Dammit, where's a good job when you need one?

Till next time…

XD

I don't take credits, but I'm in need of cash…

(FYI-don't take the cash part too seriously…but still...)


	4. Mission 4 : All God's People

Authors Rant:

As I said before, if I like what I write, read on, if you don't. **Please, FLOCK OFF!**

XD

Anyways….

Let's Begin.

There is no exquisite beauty without some strangeness in the proportion

Mission 4 : All God's People

Fantasy Pic : A dresser with a mirror where the various items are placed, one item in particular is a mask of pure white, reflected off-focus in the mirror is a silhouette of a black long-haired, man in noble vestments, sitting on a bed. Facing the mirror with his head bowed down as he held his head by both hands.

Is he in sorrow?

Is he in pain?

Is he in despair?

Is he just tired?

Or is he all of the above?

.。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° ／人*◕ .◕人＼ ／人◕. ◕*人＼ .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・°

In the wooded area at the mountains of Tristain, an old yet carefully tended cemetery lays amongst the clearing.

Numerous epitaphs beautifully lined the place of eternal slumber. On them are the words written in various Halkeginian language, marking the graves, many of them stating what kind of person who lay at rest beneath them.

Let's read some of them, shall we?

"I told you that I was sick!"

"Sir John Strange; Here lies an honest lawyer, And that is Strange."

" Alien tears will fill for him; Pity's long-broken him. For his mourners will be outcast men, And outcasts always mourn."

"The children of Yslael wanted bread, and the Founder sent them manna. Old clerk Wallace wanted a wife, And the Devil sent him Anna"

"As the flowers are all made sweeter by the sunshine and the dew, so this old world is made brighter by the lives of folks like you."

"Dentist John Brown is filling his last cavity."

"Remember man, as you walk by, as you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so shall you be. Remember this and follow me."

"I was somebody. Who, is no business of yours."

"Gone away, Owin' more than he could pay."

"To follow you I'll not consent, until I know which way you went."

"Here lies the body of Jonathan Blake; Whipped his horse on instead of the brake."

"Here lies Lester Moore; Four slugs from a musket; now lies in a casket; No Les No Moore."

"Barry Allieve - Buried Alive."

"Lived for nothin', died for nothin'."

"Some motherfuckers always tryin' to come back from the dead!"

Among them is a particular epitaph where an elegantly hooded and cloaked figure stands in front of as it gave a sign of respect to the grave, the figure then places on it a bouquet of flowers which suspiciously bears resemblance to the white Star of Bethlehem.

An old beautifully carved ten-foot rectangular epitaph made of graphite, on it are the words written in Halkeginian:

Please do not let the act of loving become a sin,

Please do not let my deeds cause others to shed tears,

Please do not let love cause fear and pain,

And please do not let me say "I truly loved you" on the day that I die…

So that on my grave, only our longing for each other remains, in the loving arms of the void.

- The Hound of the Void-

On its left side are the same words, only written in elegantly carved Japanese Kanji.

A strong wind blows as it picks up the flower petals, becoming a storm of flowers dancing around the cloaked figure, as his clothing billows with the blowing zephyr.

The wind reveals a small detail hidden beneath the darkened hood.

He is wearing a smooth, pallid, golden lensed mask that hides his upper face.

.。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° ／人*◕ .◕人＼ ／人◕. ◕*人＼ .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・°

In a forest quite far from the capital of Tristain, a man hidden under the trees' shadows emerge.

Cobalt silently stalks in the forest shadows as an oncoming four horse-d**r**awn carriage passes. The Ch**e**stnut brown carriage passed by, the assassin could clearly discern the symbol borne by the servants as well as their li**v**ery. It was the crest of the C**o**unt of Des Ornières.

The assassin's current target of interest,

The crest is a black shie**l**d where an embossed image can be discerned; a bust of a beautifully rendered wolf-dog that bears a noble air. In its mouth is a strangely designed single edged knife, with saw tooth on its blunt side.

.。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° ／人*◕ .◕人＼ ／人◕. ◕*人＼ .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・°

Earlier that day…

In a dark hall somewhere, a large contingent of white cloaked figures has gathered in military formation. With them are twelve figures in hooded robes of various colors with symbols emblazoned on each of them, denoting their Order-given names which appears to be similar to ancient Roman Zodiac symbols… albeit instead of the originally reversed during their initial introduction, the symbols' designs have now becoming something a lot more elegantly made, somewhat lending to an angelic kind…

There they stood beside a throne of exquisitely arranged human bones. And behind the said throne is a wall of beautifully varnished human skulls.

Among them is Cobalt who bears the symbol of the Archer, silently waiting for their Kaizer to arrive.

With him are eleven other cloaked figures, with their sizes ranging from petite, to downright humongous.

Looking from their place of honor, Cobalt scans over their over tens of thousands of followers of the Order who are present.

He then thought of the other members of greater numbers going on missions around this world.

**"THE KAIZER HAS ARRIVED!"** the large cloaked figure bearing the Lion roared.

**"HAIL TO THE KAIZER! HAIL TO THE BRINGER OF TRUE LIGHT!"**

All at once the entire army of white robed followers gave a thundering praise to the arriving figure coalescing from the wall of skulls. Hidden in an aura of blinding light, its robes shine with its scintillating light of various colours, a sight as inexplicable as to the reason why such array of colours should even exist.

A single vertically iris-slitted, glowing symbol of a yellow eye beneath the hood of the newcomer confirms its apparent existence in this world.

Whether this is a mask or an extension of his being, is yet to be known.

Or not.

For now, let's call this guy, "The Kaizer",

The shouts of praise and accolades continued, as the Kaizer ceremoniously walked to take his place on the throne, which is now flanked on both sides by the Twelve Heralds.

**"HAIL TO THE KAIZER! HAIL TO THE BRINGER OF TRUE LIGHT!"**

**"HAIL TO THE KAIZER! THY SIGHT THAT BRINGS FORTH THE TRUE LIGHT!"**

**"HAIL TO THE KAIZER! HAIL TO THE BRINGER OF TRUE LIGHT!"**

**"""KAIZER!"""**

**"""KAIZER!"""**

**"""KAIZER!"""**

**"""KAIZER!"""**

**"""KAIZER!"""**

Still shouting the name of their leader with the multitude of voices; they then fell on their knees in deep worship, then they began to chant something akin to a prayer…

**"Hail Kaizer, full of might, the sight of light is with you.**

**Blessed art thou amongst the people,**

**And blessed are the ones you chose to join your ranks.**

**Hallowed be the Heralds of Light, pray for us sinners.**

**Now and at the coming end. Lament."**

'As much as I am a part of this group, sometimes I wonder if they writers of the praises to the Kaizer has artistry with creating these verses.' Cobalt thought, looking over the rest of the said Order, who are currently waving their arms in worship as they knelt. Though said action reminds whoever came to the scene as something out of a nightmare, as there are some figures among the worshippers, hidden in heavy clothes are moving in ways not possible for humans to be moving.

One of the Heralds, the one bearing the symbol of Scorpio, whispered to the compatriot beside him, the Taurus, "I wonder who writes our hymns and prayers, I think they sound lame. While on the subject, why do we have to wear hoods, it also looks too old fashioned?"

The Taurus, a towering figure, simply snorts, as a steam issued from his nostrils hidden under the hood's darkness.

"One does not simply question the Kaizer's rituals." He bluntly said.

"Bah! You're no fun." The Scorpio pouted, apparently.

"Maybe the Kaizer has a fetish for robes and hoods?" another Herald suggested, this one bearing the symbol of the Aquarius, snickering.

**WHAP!**

A powerful force slaps the three conversing Heralds the upside their heads.

"Quiet, you lot!" the one bearing the symbol of the Lion growled, as he whacked the three.

Thankfully, none of the followers below were the wiser of the bizarre events which occurred on the raised throne platform, and remained kneeling in quiet anticipation.

It is not certain whether the Kaizer heard the conversation between the Heralds as he remained seated on the throne with his hooded head nodding in approval at what he sees.

Cobalt simply mentally shrugged at the event, remaining quiet, still as a statue.

Though, no matter how many times Cobalt thought, there is something bothering the cloaked man whether he actually belonged to this group of unknowns.

No matter how many times he reflected about it, he feels like an outsider amongst these outsiders.

Moving on…

As the almost never ending litany of praises and adulations reached its peak, all of the sudden they fell silent upon seeing the Kaizer raise his immaculately white gloved hand in a bid to silence those who are present.

A deafening silence falls into the halls, save for the unnatural heavy breathing of the some of its possibly inhuman members, as well as coming from places where no living things should be staying in.

A voice that is a something that is not something that would issue from a human throat, spoke.

**"THE TIME FOR OUR GOD'S ARRIVAL, IS NIGH."** It echoed,

A sudden round of roaring cheers explodes amongst the members, most especially the twelve, who are now standing beside the throne, six of them on either side.

There was a cacophony of voices, rising to an inhuman pitch as the masses shouted in cheers.

Until the Kaizer raises his hand,

Silence falls once more.

**"NOW, THERE ARE STILL SOME THOSE WHO POSE AS A THREAT TO HIS COMING. THEY MUST BE ELIMINATED AT ANY COST." **

Slowly cocking his head like a lizard as it looked for someone in particular among the ranks.

**"COBALT."** It said, as the voice seemed to change its tone for a moment,

The Assassin in blue bows his head in cognizance,

"Yes, My Kaizer."

"There is a target I would like you to eliminate." The voice is now directly speaking through his mind.

An explosion of light assaults the blue assassin's mind as the information regarding the target was directly fed into his memories.

As the light in his mind faded, Cobalt finds himself standing in the middle of a green field.

The wind blew strongly through the field, not disturbing the robes of the assassin.

Looking about Cobalt then sees as lone figure on top of a hill.

"This is your target." The Kaizer's voice rang through his mind, sounding a lot gentler.

As if by cue, the vision suddenly clears, and the figure on top of a hill, which is actually composed of corpses of numerous indescribably blackish misshapen creatures as well as men who appears to be mercenaries.

The androgynous figure, whose back is turned towards Cobalt, wore a voluminous black, high collared cape which billowed in the wind.

"He is a mysterious factor. It is unknown of he has something to do with the forces that is currently impeding us."

Cobalt regarded the target, which is now slowly turning to face his way.

The first thing he notices is that his hair is quite unusual for a Halkegenian Noble. Black and glossy hair tied into a ponytail, flutter through the wind, but from a certain angle, the light reflects from the hair seemed like snow. His gaunt, androgynous body is clearly shown through the folds of his Noble Cloak Vestment, which denoted a life that dealt with countless battles and hardships of travel.

Just like him.

For some reason, Cobalt felt something close to kinship as he looked at his latest target, which is now facing him.

The target wore an ornate mask which reminded him of the face and eyes of a golden-eyed, snarling wolf. The mask covered his upper face, and the golden lenses serving as the "eyes" of the mask hiding his eyes, leaving his lower face exposed with an eternal scowl, keeping the owner's identity well-hidden.

"The last reports tell that this man alone has also killed a large flock of Nightfrights when he encountered them at the village border between Gallia and Tristain."

Cobalt remained silent, regarding the figure presented with interest.

_'A challenge,'_

The Kaizer has ordered Cobalt not to approach Dante for some time now, and was assigned to other missions, such as searching for the Founder's relics, and some high profile assassinations.

Although most of the leads he was told to go ended up with him killing someone who could possibly become an obstacle in Order's operations.

It was as if the Kaizer just wanted him to be away from crossing paths with Dante.

For now, the Kaizer is telling him of his latest mission.

"He is a Tristanian Noble who goes by the title of Count de Des Ornières. Our informants say that he has been seen travelling through the kingdoms incognito, asking around about various things including relics from the Age of Chaos and was seen going to ancient ruins, exploring."

"Then what is my task, My Kaizer?"

"I want you to assess his strength, as well as see whether he knows of the location of the Founder's Treasures. Destroy him if you can, but it is not a priority."

Cobalt couldn't help but think that there is something about this man that the Kaizer is not telling him, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Outward, Cobalt silently nods.

Turning into the rest of the attendees, the Kaizer said to them,

** "AS IT IS WRITTEN, WE SHALL NOT BE IMPEDED BY ANYONE. HIS GLORY WILL SHINE UPON THIS WORLD ONCE MORE."**

The Kaizer declares as he raised his fist into the air, as the voice of a thousand rang once more in inhuman cries of cheers and adulation.

"Then Cobalt, proceed without delay." The Kaizer said to the blue assassin,

"As you command, my Kaizer," Cobalt nods his head as he acknowledged the order.

In his mind, the Kaizer gave another set of orders, "Not that I do not trust your abilities, but I order you to stay undetected while on this mission. Do not let him see you. I order you to leave and drop the mission if he does."

"Yes, My Kaizer." Cobalt responds, as he prepared to depart for the mission immediately.

Cobalt disappears in a puff of blue smoke, leaving the assembly in an instant.

The Kaizer then gives another order to one of the Heralds, this one happens to be a figure in dark shade of purple hooded cloak, bearing the symbol of the Gemini. His hand held a small crystal ball.

"This is your mission, Zwei." The Kaizer said, as he sent the details through thought, ensuring the absolute secrecy of the mission,

"Do not fail me."

"Yes My Kaizer." Zwei replied in what can be described as two voices coalescing as one.

"Now, go."

Zwei dissolves into shadow, leaving the meeting as well.

The Kaizer then nods at another Herald, this time, a crimson cloaked figure, bearing the symbol of Virgo.

She simply said, "Yes, My Kaizer." and disappears in a cloud of crimson blood.

Then the Kaizer turns to the rest of the Heralds, and assured them,

**"Your missions will be given to you shortly, My brothers. For now, we wait."**

""""Aye, Kaizer."""" The remaining Heralds responded.

The Kaizer then pauses, as if remembering something and once again looks at the Heralds.

Silence ensues.

.。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° ／人*◕ .◕人＼ ／人◕. ◕*人＼ .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・°

A girl wakes up to find herself naked, save for a thin, flowing robe on her person. She finds her arms chained up, and her legs are fettered as well. A gag is placed on her mouth preventing her from making a sound.

Looking around, she then notes that she is not alone wherever she is. Under the slow lights of countless lanterns, a number of women and girls similarly clothed and chained.

A strong yank pulls the prisoners up, as the prisoners are now pulled along the long, spacious passageway.

She is in a place that appears to be a spacious passageway, where she, along with the other prisoners are being led along by figures in white, hooded robes who bore dim lanterns, which barely lit the lonely passageway as they slowly shuffled through the passageway.

Apparently, they have no need for that much light to navigate their way through the passages.

Any other person would get lost in this place.

All the while as they slowly and humbly moved to occupy the pews, they hummed a song.

A song that never existed to be sung from tongues of humans.

The girl couldn't help but shudder at the utterly ominous atmosphere the song is generating, with the other prisoners probably feeling the same way, as she could actually hear them moan at their current helplessness, having their mouths gagged as well. Through an arched doorway into a winding corridor, whose floor was of many-hued mosaics, whose walls were inlaid with gold tissue and silver chasing, and from whose fretted arched ceiling swung golden censers, filling the corridor with dreamy perfumed clouds. For some reason, she could perceive these things though the lights are rather dim. They turned down a smaller corridor, done in jet and black jade, gloomy and awful, which ended at a brass door, over whose arch a human skull grinned horrifically.

At this door stood another white robed, repellent figure, dangling a bunch of keys.

She could almost feel that their terrible journey where the destination only their captors knew of are finally ending.

The lights turn dim.

Rough hands seized the girl and forcibly drags her to the aisle, as the robed figures continued chanting that jarring song,

The robed figures finally took the now distressed girl into the immaculate altar, laying her on top of it, tying her limbs with chains to the ornamented posts on the altar.

The lights grow dimmer.

The humming stopped.

And silence fell like a pall.

The girl now strained to look at what is happening.

Too late, she realized that it was a bad idea, as stark fear and terror overcomes her, rendering her immobile, and unable to turn away.

It is now apparent to her that wherever they may be going, nothing in this world can save them.

Absolutely nothing.

…

.。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° ／人*◕ .◕人＼ ／人◕. ◕*人＼ .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・°

The Kaizer gives a sagely nod towards two of the Heralds stationed on either side, one who wears a purple robes bearing the symbol of the Scorpio and one of the king of the beasts. The Scorpio, otherwise known as Fetis, and the other, bears the symbol of the Lion.

The Lion steps forward, and bellows "Bring them!"

The Scorpio then waves her right hand signalling one of the cloaked figures guarding the door towards the entrance of the hall.

A mass of people in chains composed of young nubile women wearing white, thin robes and nothing else, were dragged into the hall by burly cloaked figures.

Kaizer then raised his heavily clothed arms high into the air as he prayed over to the masses of his followers,

**"O LORD, BLESS THESE GIFTS, WHICH WE SHALL PARTAKE."**

**"FOR THE GLORY OF HIS COMING ADVENT WE OFFER THESE SACRIFICE. REJOICE, FOR HIS ARRIVAL IS NIGH."**

All of the sudden, darkness fell on the hall of gathering, as the Kaizer ends his "Prayer".

As if the descending of darkness was the trigger, the silent hall suddenly becomes a hall of absolute chaos.

Nothing else needs to be said, other than the place of unholy gathering became filled with screams of fear, horror, and utter despair and being mangled alive.

Other sounds filled the halls as well, such as the crunching of bones, heavy chewing, gulping, and sounds of thickly flowing liquid of something akin to water, and sloppy sounds of wet meat falling on the floor.

There are other cacophonies of various sounds too inexplicable and terrible for words to describe.

It pretty much sounds like an orgy made from hell.

The darkness was as much as a curse as a blessing to the victims, since they are spared of the vision of terror that befell their otherwise simple, short lives.

The shouts of feverish chanting and praises echoing through the halls continued, as the Kaizer watched over his "flock" with an air likened to a proud parent.

Silence falls once more.

Orbs of faint white light appear as the chaos ends. They then begin to flow like an eldritch river towards an image behind the Kaizer's throne.

"Soon my Lord, we will finish preparing the way for you." Kaizer said in a now slightly feminine voice, looking in reverence at the huge, faintly glowing statue sitting on an immense throne beyond the throne on which Kaizer sits, overlooking the entire ceremony.

Kaizer then touched its own single glowing 'Eye'.

"In the end, everyone shall see Your Light."

.。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° ／人*◕ .◕人＼ ／人◕. ◕*人＼ .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・°

Present :

The blue assassin quickly and silently drove a faint blue Night Mare, a splendid magical horse, famous for its silence as well as near invisibility under shadows. With his horse, Cobalt effortlessly chased the carriage, matching its pace as it went through the twisting and turning of the road as the carriage went through the mountain pass.

For some reason, no matter how many times the assassin tries to catch up for a clean shot, it seemed that the carriage manages to slip his sights.

It was as if the driver of the vehicle is aware that his carriage was being followed.

The trend of cat and mouse game drew on.

In almost half-day later, the horse-drawn vehicle is nearly at the city limits.

Cobalt leaves the strange horse behind as he quickly leaps on to the roof of a house, as he stealthily followed the carriage.

The vehicle has reduced its speed to a more leisurely pace as it came closer to a more populated area, the town square, making the pursuit much easier for the assassin.

Cobalt stealthily jogged on rooftops, deftly avoiding detection as he leapt from one rooftop to another, swinging and shimmying through jutting wooden beams and posts.

Occasionally he ran through upper rooms in order not to lose track of the carriage, as well as to remain undetected.

There were times that he even went through someone's bathroom, in one of them; an extremely busty, redheaded woman is bathing in its tub.

So much for being undetected…

"Oh My?!" she exclaimed, not too enthusiastically, as the Assassin in blue simply passed by without a second look.

Not that he'd peep anyway. He's too focused on the mission, even to notice as gigantic fireball nearly smash into him.

It's just to inform you guys.

After a while, Cobalt settled on perching his hooded form, atop the tower spire, at Tristain's Castle.

How he managed to pass through the guards, only the Founder knows.

Like a gargoyle he crouched, waiting for his quarry, with an extremely advanced bow and arrow in hand, ready to strike if he deems it necessary.

For now, he waits.

.。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° ／人*◕ .◕人＼ ／人◕. ◕*人＼ .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・°

"The Count of Des Ornières, enters!" a servant announced the arrival of the hooded noble, as he enters the Queen's throne room.

The Count is wearing a dark, beautifully embroidered hooded cloak, which totally envelops his entire body,

"It has been a while, Count."

"Yes, M'sieu Mazarin, it has." The Count greets the elder man, as he gracefully bows down to the queen's chief adviser, letting down his beautifully embroidered hood with his leather gloved hands, revealing a raven-haired man in tasteful but functional blue and white accented clothes, whose identity is hid by a yellow-lensed pallid mask, leaving only his mouth and part of his nose to be visible.

Moments later, Queen Henrietta enters the room,

The Count bows, kneeling down with his hand in his heart, in due respect to the highest ranking ruler in Tristain,

"Salutations, Your Majesty. You have grown lovelier since the last time I saw you."

"Count Des Ornières, Welcome back. Please rise, I'm still not fit to be revered by someone of such high esteemed as you."

The Count stands as the Queen extends her right hand towards the approaching Count, who gently took it and kissed the back of her hand.

'I suppose I got it right this time.' The Count thought, as he tenderly regarded the young queen, who blushed at his kind gaze,

"Nothing sets my heart at ease other than to see you once more, My Queen. Albeit late, allow me to congratulate for your ascension to the throne. I apologize for not being present. I have no excuses." The Count congratulated the Queen with another graceful bow, as he let go of the Queen's hand.

Henrietta felt a strange longing for the Count to hold her hand much longer.

For some reason.

The 'no excuse' last part of the Count's statement is no quite true though.

Queen Henrietta knows all too well that the Count is in deep investigation dealing with the other side of Halkeginia.

The Underworld side, somewhere she thought, wouldn't ever reach,

Not if Mazarin could help it,

"No, I know you have valid reasons. Besides, I deemed that if you could withstand "their" presence," Henrietta said,

She was referring to the Corrupted Nobles: The Libertines who were around that time.

As much as she hated the fact, she had no choice but remained at an impasse with them for now. She has no solid evidence to clean them up as of this time.

"At any case, how are the borders and the other kingdoms?"

"The Albion revolutionary government, as you might have known, are still licking their wounds after their botched invasion of Tristain. The higher-ups are in a struggle to control the currently disheartened subordinates. But I'm afraid their drive to unite the entire human kingdom in order to conquer the Holy Land."

"I see."

"Gallia, on the other hand, remained generally silent on their stand with the rest of the known kingdoms. But I suspect they might be involved somehow to the recent events surrounding the Albion's Coup. While Germania, kept their hands clean from all of this, preferring to improve their own kingdom. For now, that is. Both kingdoms seem to have strange reports regarding disappearances of youths, monsters appearing out of the blue and horrible chants that could be heard from the nowhere. I myself have come across some of the strange monsters on my way here at Glowcap."

Mazarin and Henrietta are dumbstruck at the news.

Mazarin was then angered, at the fact that they were not informed of the said problem.

"I suppose you never heard of it. I don't blame you. I found most of the people trying to get away from the place, dead from Nightfright attacks. This included the few informants you sent there."

"Glowcap…" Henrietta said, recalled her childhood times there with her friend Louise during the Glowcap plants festival, as they watched the glowing rainbow of spores fly through the air in a show pretty much reminiscent of fireworks, only better.

"H-how is the Glowcap village now?" Henrietta asked worriedly,

"Don't you worry, Your Highness. I was able to send some of my workers to rehabilitate the village as soon as I secured the village. If you let me, allow me to keep the place for a while, as I fix and personally repopulate the village in your name."

'Wait, did the last part sound right?' The Count asks himself,

Thankfully, none of the two were the wiser, as they gave the Count's proposition a thought.

Mazarin simply nods in approval at the Queen at the Count's suggestion.

He knows very well that the Count will take good care of anything that needs to be done.

"If that is your wish, then I will leave the management of rebuilding of the village to you."

By the way, the Count is also one of the richest Noble in Tristain, and is only second to the Royal Crown in terms of wealth. Though that last fact is not known to the general public, it is only known by only a few high ranking officials.

The Des Ornières is also one of the top investors to Tristain Royal Crown's projects for years, although they always insisted to remain anonymous at the ventures.

"Other than that, there are other forces not affiliated to the kingdoms which I'm still trying to investigate. Whether they are also involved with some of the recent strange events in other kingdoms is a big possibility, I will probe on them further. There are other things I have found out while exploring various ruins around Halkeginia. The details, can be found on these documents."

The Count hands Mazarin a set of sealed scrolls, containing the thorough reports of his latest travels and investigations.

That sort of concludes the informal report of the Count to the Mazarin and Henrietta.

Henrietta, after thinking for a while, said this to the Count.

"As you may have known, there has been a lot of gossip around the Castle about many of the Nobles not approving of my crowning, and are planning something to remove me from the throne."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I have. About the planned coup d'état, it might just speculation. But as a precaution, I will have some of my men stationed around the castle probe on it. As a certain saying goes, 'Better safe than sorry.'"

"I've not heard of that saying before." Mazarin said,

"Really?"

"No."

"Oh, never mind."

The Count sighs as he shrugged and continued,

"But rather than worry about that, it is in my mind that we first and foremost, take a consensus of how the general public views you, their expectations under your rule, as well as find out what problems they may have with the government. In the end, it is the plebeians who are truly important in this kingdom; hence their welfare comes first, am I right, M'seiu Mazarin?"

Mazarin nods in approval,

"Though we still have to move in such a manner as to not to agitate the older Nobles for now."

"True enough, that's why we'll have to do this with outmost care."

"And how do you suppose we could do that? By sending out questionnaires?" Mazarin inquired, a bit amused on the Count's suggestion. Intelligence gathering within one's own realm has been a pretty much rampant since the establishment of kingdoms. This might what the doctor ordered.

"If we do that, we might not find out what the people actually thought about the regime. What I'm thinking of is we secretly send informants at the capital first and gather information from there. You know, listen in on to the plebeians' as well as the lower Nobles' conversations, and get the general opinion of the general populace. It could range from idle prattle to something a lot more serious. The information gathered by the said informant will be directly reported to you, Your Majesty."

"You mean we spy on them? That is a splendid idea." Henrietta praised the count, "Only a master infiltrator could have thought of an idea like that."

I have been saying this stuff earlier haven't I?

"Shut up, narrator."

Yeah, yeah.

.。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° ／人*◕ .◕人＼ ／人◕. ◕*人＼ .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・°

"That's the gist of it."

That said, the Count also happens to be actually good at infiltrating.

"You need to send someone who you could truly trust and skilled enough to mingle amongst the populace. Is there anyone you could consider a possible candidate?"

Henrietta thought for a while, "I could send out Agnes, or any of the Musketeers."

"They are too well known in these parts to be effective spies." Mazarin replied,

"True that."

"How about Snake?" the Count asked.

"He retired a long time ago. That and we ha**v**e lost contact of him." Mazarin said,

"Gray Fox?"

"Went into business some time ago, never looked back ever since. He has a daughter to look after, so he said."

"That's a problem. Other than Snak**e** as well as Fox, most of the available people I have a**r**ound here would unfit for such an operation. Too sensitive for the rest of them."

"How about you then?" Henrietta asked,

"As much as would like to, Your Highness, I will not **b**e able to help as of this time. There are some things that needed tending at the moment. Sorry." The Count apologized, looking coolly out the window, and sees a shadow crouching up the tower.

"I see."

"Well, there must be someone you know who could pull it off, other than me, isn't there?"

"Hmm…" Henrietta goes into a thoughtful pose.

The Count couldn't help but find her cute.

Hence…

"Once I have dealt with the current investigation, I could drop by and help out whomever was lucky enough to **b**e assigned, I will have some of my people help them out if I'm not around. This I promise you, My Queen."

This abruptly surprised the Queen. As much as she had known, most of the Nobles tend to follow her orders no matter how it in**c**onveniences them. The count seemed different.

That said, the Des Ornières is one of the powerful Noble Family in Tristain, in money as well as influence. He is a top investor in Tristain as well.

Ridiculed by jealous Nobles as the Tristain Royalty's hound, the Nobles of Des Ornières who wen**t** down through the generations has served the Crown with unshakeable loyalty and efficiency in fulfilling the tasks they were given. From advisory services to the secret jobs, the line of Des Ornières did it all.

But the mystery **i**s, the Counts' who went down the line were required to wear the family heirloom, an ornate white mask with yellow lensed eyeholes which hides his eyes, the **s**trange design of the said face gear hides the cheekbones leaving only a small part of the nose as well as the mouth exposed.

Henrietta looks at the Count, who to her seemed like someone she might have known from someplace before other than her childhood days.

Mazarin whispers to Henrietta via Wind magic, "His family has the confidence of the p**a**st rulers of Tristain, he can be trusted with his word."

The thing is, the line of the Des Ornières family remained to be an obscurity, especially due to the fact that there are no other branches related to the Des Ornières.

The fact that the rest of the Des Ornières family has been said to be hidden away from the general public is also a mystery. The family members hidden away like this were probably justified. Due to their affiliation to royalty, the early Des Ornières who swore total devotion to protect and serve the Crown thought that it is much better to hide the rest of the family, to keep them safe. Due to this, the only Des Ornières representative seen by the public eye through the years remained to be the Head of the family, the one who bears the title of Count.

"Well, may I ask, do you have a**n**yone else in mind?" the Count asked.

The Queen sighed; there is no helping to it as there is only one person whom she could actually entrust the task to.

"I suppose there is no other choice then…"

"Please do trust your friends more, My Queen." The Count said as he expressed himself with a sweat drop placard.

Mazarin follows suit as well as he emotionlessly held up a sign bearing the same sweat drop picture.

…

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All the while, during their conversations, several heavily cloaked figures suddenly appear just outside the throne room.

They then began their move to break down the door…

Meantime, the Count then hears the movements from outside.

"Mseiu Mazarin, may I take a moment for a little break?" Count Des Ornières asked, as to the view of the Mazarin and Queen Henrietta they could almost swear that the Count's countenance changed for a moment, flashing a reddish tint in his eyes, whilst his black hair for some reason seemed to change for a moment from the blackest night, to locks as white as snow. It was so instantaneous and impossibly strange; they wrote it off as a trick of light.

"Looks like, we have some unwanted guests." Mazarin said as he felt the presence as well.

Like a panther in search of prey, yet keeping his proper decorum as a gentleman, the Count leaves the room.

"I'll be back." He excused himself, his voice changing to a certain action icon that immortalized the line, leaving the two Nobles in the room with an expression of white eyed confusion.

"Just who is this man?" the Queen wondered,

"One of the people you could absolutely trust, Your Highness." Mazarin replied,

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The would-be assassins right outside the throne room was in one hell of surprise, as all of the sudden, they were transported to the castle grounds.

Yet for some reason, the cloaked men were moving quite strangely, shambling as if their limbs were not where they are supposed to be. Their soundless movements were quite unnerving to ordinary people.

"Seriously, you guys are in so much trouble." The Count said as he produced a sheathed sword from the folds of his black cloak. The top most part of the sheath before the sword guard and the sheath meet has a large trigger and a large rifle like gun magazine right under the "trigger", where the cloaked traveller held the strangely designed scabbard with his left grip.

The only sounds issuing from them are moans and clinking of various weapons.

The leading cloaked assailants began to draw their weapons, ranging from wrist-mounted, double-edged blades, daggers, swords, axes and halberds.

"Looks like someone wants the current royalty, royally dead, may I know who sent you guys."

The only reply to the Count's query is untranslatable titter, and mechanical whirring from their ranks, not to mention the clinking of the blades hungry for blood.

"Silent types, huh? I'll just have to loosen those tongues of yours then."

The assailants began to encircle the Count who stood looking bored.

"My third language is Violence, do you speak it?"

Then the dance of death began…

The blades flashed through the air as they simultaneously struck their supposed prey.

Only to hit empty air.

Before any of them could register surprise, the count' voice could be heard as he said,

"Up here."

All the assailants to be looked up in synch, and find their target 20 mails above them…

Bolts of lightning gathered at his form as he assumes a sword drawing stance, while freefalling from his jump. And in a blink of the eye, the cloaked Noble is now running through the mass of cloaked assassins, slashing his drawn weapon, a long, dark-pink hued curved blade, similar to a Japanese Okatana, which cut deeply and with precision among the ranks of the shambling figures.

The 'men' in heavy robes stopped as the blur that is the Count and his blade flashed by.

The Count reappears from the blitz rush in a crouch as he spins his sword like a windmill, once, twice, thrice in quick succession, before dramatically sheathing it back to the triggered sheath with a clink.

With that sound, the cloaked intruders fell down in pieces, revealing their hideous forms, comprising of corpses supported with wood and steel frames, which are now slashed into many pieces, but still fairly obvious that these guys are probably, dead before they are killed.

Dammit, people are supposed to die when they are killed…

Apparently losing their means of movement, they fell like a sack of potatoes, rotten potatoes that is…

"What the?" The Count said, his voice registering surprise as he instantly scans the fallen assassins…

"Devils the day before, now Ninja Zombies? This is getting even more complicated as it is." The Count remarks as he sees something of interest among the piles of the would-be assassins. Small bottles filled with glowing, viscous fluid are strategically placed in their torsos.

"Hmm…and what are these supposed to be?"

…

For now, may I present to you, the Ninja Zombie Robots.

Suddenly, The Count spins around as his right hand whips out.

"Whew, that was close."

In his hand is a reinforced carbon tipped arrow.

Deducing the place where the arrow came from, he scans the tower, only to find no one…

"Looks like, someone doesn't want me here."

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Morning,

For some reason, Dante overslept today,

As Dante came to, he suddenly finds someone lying on top of him.

Well, let's see, who would have the gall to break in Louise's room, and sleeps on top of her guardian without fear of retaliation from out resident person of mass destruction?

Dante then looks down and sees the culprit's fiery red flowing locks. As well as feel that voluminous funbags that never ceases to amaze the devil hunter as to how she manages to live with such humongous assets.

"Yup, she's the only one who could at the moment." Dante mumbles as he finds the little master of a mage cowering in fear at the corner of her own room. Covering her person under the apparent protection of the blankets, there the mini-mage shivered in great fear of her life.

As much as Dante could help it, he finds the way Louise was reacting to this cute.

Pretty much like how a nice bullying uncle loves to tease his favourite niece or something.

No prizes to those who could guess who the apparent intruder is.

Dante sighed, 'Louise must have one heck of a wake-up call. When this one came in...'

As much as he wanted to adore the magnificent view that this delectable dish is presented to him. He has to dispel first the fears of his contractor.

"Ohh, M'seiu Dante, not there…" Lady Zerbst mumbles as Dante half –accidentally touched her bountiful breasts in an effort to lift the said lady off of him.

Yup, I said half-accidentally, the other half is purely intentional.

Still admiring the great elasticity of those sets of lungs, Dante has no other choice but to take care of business first.

Not THAT business, you damn pervs.

Anyway,

Gently lifting the supposedly sleeping Noblewoman off him while simultaneously leaving the couch, Dante then carefully walks towards the terribly distressed Louise, who is now mumbling a dozen of things, which also includes a litany of sins she thought to have committed in her young life against her mother's teachings…err…creed.

Sighing, Dante then picks up the young lady, carefully dressed her up, using the doppelganger skill and finally carries her off out of the room. The room in which where the 'red-headed monster' (in many ways than one) took possession of, slept on, fantasizing about her Snow headed lover…

What Dafuq just happened?

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Later in the day, in the Academy's Parlour…

There are various students going through their extra-curricular activities as their exams have long since passed. With the Semestral Vacation just weeks before it officially begins, the students as well as the faculty and staff are kicking back a bit. This is especially true to a certain duo…

"Three of a kind."

D**a**nte puts down his five cards, with three queens of Earth, Wind, and Fire, one/ace of Earth and two of Earth.

They're playing poker of sort**s**, using pl**a**ying cards of Tristanian design which has stunning similarity with the Middle Age**s** playing cards, though it's a lot closer to Tarot Cards in design. They are **s**eparated into four groups which comprises of the respective four elements of magic, with thirteen levels ranging from suits of the elements one to ten and the royal suits composed of t**h**ree, mainly; the Knight, the Queen, and the King.

FYI: Here's the Halkeginian Cards in accordance with Earth's as Dante had classified it:

Club – Earth

Diamond –Wind

Heart – Water

Spade-Fire

Dante was given the card set by one of the teachers in the Academy, wh**o** happens to be his ardent admirer, or so the note said.

Though to be clear, the card games in this world is not considered as a gambling game, as to the fact that the actual game in Halkeginia has nothing to do with poker. It's supposed to be a Noble's way to pass the time, as well as a way of socializing among their brethren as they have tea and other socializing stuff to talk about. The cards were still not available to the general public, as Dante had been informed.

'Sorry, but looks like I won."

Dante then moves to take his winnings, among them is an extra **l**arge serving bowl of strawberry sundae, approximately half of Louise's size, which was made by Siesta.

"What can I say? I'm good friends with lady luck."

Louise looks at the devil hunter with a strange glint with her ey**e**s.

"Well, that's how it is." Dante ends the winning speech.

Louise lays down her hand of cards, wordlessly spreading it on the table…

Triumphantly she said,

"Full House."

Dante was thunderstruck….

'Not again…'

"Sorry. But it is obvious that **I'm **best friends with Lady Luck." She innocently smiled, but Dante could absolutely see the smirk that she's trying to suppress.

In just a few days after Dante taught Louise how to play poker to pass the time… she's been beating him at the game,

Non-stop.

'Seriously. I'm already living in another world. Why is my luck no different?' Dante tries to ask the heavens, but will definitely find no answer,

"Well, that's how it is." Louise mocked the victory phrase by Dante as she moved in to claim the extra large bowl of her now favourite snack…

Dante as he is, quickly hid his helplessness by acting indifferent, as he puts his hands behind his head as he makes himself comfortable by laying his body on the couch, as he looks at the mini-mage take on the mountain of frozen treat by herself with relish.

"Hmph, You're pretty good, for a shrimp."

"Not really. You just suck at this game." Louise countered Dante's remark as she attacked her snack.

"Oh really? Maybe I'll have another round with you then."

"Haven't you learned yet?" Louise replied, unfazed with the fact that person she's been defeating at poker is someone who just might be Halkaginia's strongest being in existence since Sparda and the Founder.

Dante smirked at the spunky young lady, thinking that some months ago, she is nothing more than a failure of a mage, hiding behind the mask of pompousness, and explosions.

Now, with Dante's training, she has become a rather competent mage, to the point that she can even cast some spells without wasting too much willpower.

This left him to wonder, if she has gained the ability to see his hand before he could even call it.

Meanwhile, the others have been pretty much the same, though Guiche's womanizing manners seems to have been dampened, since the day he was forcibly sworn to be Montmorency's alone. As a Noble he is forced to follow the Oath to the letter. Though to be fair, since that time at Ragdorian Lake, Dante has been increasingly giving tougher methods of training that Guiche had no longer the energy to go off gallivanting with the young ladies.

"It's for your own good, little boy. You'll be thanking me for this later." Dante sometimes tells the boy, as he drags Guiche to the Howling Grove to be tortu-err- trained a few days before.

Guiche afterwards, began to be less of a fop, and more like true a gentleman that he should act like, or risk longer training sessions provided by Dante.

But he still had the slight tendencies to revert.

"Anyway, since you lost for 12 times today…" Louise began, as she settled down on her chair, looking content, after finishing off the confection.

Dante is rather cranky today due to his loss, but he had to keep his end of the bargain.

"I know. I know. I'll treat you to town as well."

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The duo then goes to Tristain square and just wandered around; all the while Louise had the pleasure of making Dante as his pack mule for once.

Err, Doe this make him a sugar Daddy?

'After this, I think I better brush up my card playing skills.' The devil hunter thought, as he inwardly smiled while watching Louise shop.

'Hard to admit, but I've grown to like the kid.' Dante reflects, as she pulled Dante along to a familiar shop.

The Taylor Swift's Dress Shop.

"M'selle Swift, How are you doing?" Louise greets her favourite seamstress,

The ex-noble turned seamstress, looks up from he work and smiled at her usual customers. Dante takes a quick, but deep look at her latest work.

It was a long coat with the color designs that bears a striking similarity to the person he saw the last time. More like a long coat that looks like a modern-day parka.

'Where has she seen this design though?' Dante wondered, but put aside the question, especially when he noticed that Swift's usual cheerful expression is somewhat clouded.

"Ah, M'seiu Dante, M'selle Louise. So nice of you to drop by." She welcomed her two regulars.

"Oh, where are my manners. Let's get you two sit at the parlour for some tea."

The three settled down at the parlour as M'selle Swift, made a simple tea and scones for her two friends and favourite customers.

"Is there anything I could do for you two then." She asked,

"Well, I was wondering if you could make me a three casual summer dresses of these sizes." Louise said as she took a sip from the cup.

She then shows M'selle Swift the dress measurements, among which, two of them are simply too big for Louise herself…

"I'm always at your service, M'selle." The pretty tailor said, smiling as she adjusted her glasses,

Dante can't shake off the feeling that she's feeling rather agitated at the moment.

Hunching his rather tall frame forward, making a bridge in with his hands, he asks the seamstress,

"Is something troubling you?"

The question caught the lady off-guard, as she sighed deeply.

"There's no hiding it from you, is it? M'seiu Dante?" She smiled rather bitterly this time.

A swift kick to the shin alerted Dante of his charge.

"Just what the heck are you doing? Are you seducing her or something?" Louise hissed,

Dante momentarily turned his attention to the pouting Louise,

"Why are you assuming that I'm doing that?"

Louise's face blushes bright red, as she suddenly realized, 'Why indeed?'

There's a secretly circulating series of erotic books, chronicling the rather naughty bed time adventures of a certain snow haired red-armored knight, whose skills of wooing women was so powerful to the point that his mere presence makes the nearby females so enraptured that they orgasm. Even words that denote a slight concern to a woman is enough to send her to utter bliss. With that they would probably eat him alive once they catch him.

If you know what I mean.

'This scene is so similar to the "In the Loving Arms of the Seamstress."'

"Whatever you are thinking, snap out of it." A slightly reprimanding voice returned Louise into reality.

Dante sighed,

Sometimes he wondered who the author of the Erotica series was. The Flaming Admirer was such a talented writer, though the main character now evolved into someone very similar to Dante.

Screw that, the only thing left for the author to do is to change the said Knight's name into Dante.

Getting back to the subject,

"We're friends, I-we just thought you could use some help. Or maybe a lending ear." Louise adds her two cents at the topic,

"If you insist…"

M'selle Swift then tell them of her regular correspondence with her older brother, as she suspected that that something happened to him,

"I could feel it in his recent letters. He may say that he is fine, but my feeling tells me that something bad happened to him,"

"Could it be that he's just under the weather recently?"

"No, it's not that. He always tells me when he gets sick. But lately his letters… it's just…I don't know, I seems that something palpable is around him as he wrote his recent letters…" She said

"Something…like… terror…"

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Days later…

In the dark dungeons somewhere in Tristain , a heavily chained man is being escorted by numerous guards.

The men, albeit heavily built, seem to fear their chained prisoner.

With outmost care, the men had the prisoner placed behind bars.

If you must know this man is dressed with an attire consisting of a black leather hooded jacket with red interior linings and the British Union flag sewn on the left arm whose length is three fourths of the wearer's size, a gray tank top, black fingerless gloves, black faded jeans, black military boots, and a necklace reminiscent of the Perfect Amulet.

After the men escorting the new prisoner safe, they then ran off like rats finally freed of their cat predators.

"Whew! I thought those guys would pee their pants, as they brought me here. Am I really that scary?" The hooded man said as he removed his hood which hid his face, revealing a familiar gaunt face, but with his silver hair cut into a Mohawk which looks like it was dyed black in various places.

Every part of him screams "REBELLION IN YOUR FACE, MOTHERFUCKA!"

"The things I do for friends…" the prisoner jokingly laments.

To be continued... XD

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Did I miss something along the lines?

WTF happened while I slept with the computer on?

Anyway, to be continued...

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Looks like I caught me a small fry, and found out that my disser seems to have put his hated writer on his favourite list after all.

Ah, the irony.

XD

A message to a certain someone:

If you really don't like the way I write as well as how I receive critique from anonymous sources, just unsubscribe from my work and **FLOCK OFF**!

To a certain dude/ette:

Anyways, allow me to explain what exactly happened, at first I accidentally removed your review. But with your wordy reaction about it made me decide to… totally remove your every review on my stories.

As far as I know, I accept critiques as long as it is helpful in improving self and not personally dissing at the said writer. If it's totally out of line, I think I have the right not to accept such critiques. This goes especially from people who live just to annoy others, hiding behind the curtain of anonymity, who thinks they have the total right to just write anything they wish without being impeded, and thus becomes a tool for abuse for some.

We as authors can moderate anonymous reviews, in case you don't realize; in other words, we also have the right to choose anonymous reviews. Seriously, if we don't have the right to delete anonymous reviews, then it wouldn't be placed in the page options, would it?

This is the last time I will address you this way.

I have been patient.

If you have a problem, PM me.

I am reasonable.

If you continue the bash, it's your call.

I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN.

(But then again, I probably won't waste my remaining time on his ass.)

XD

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Sorry for the rest of you guys for one wordy prattle.

As I said, I welcome critiques as long as they point out where the mistakes are. Not vague ones, please point where I wrote wrong, if there is one. Suggestions will be accepted as well. Since I am kinda lost to what style I shall present the stories. My fingers were the ones typing at the moment.

I suppose I might have my account suspended due to what I have said, but hey, it's just a part of how the world flows.

I don't mind.

But as of now, I will have fun and write as long as I want.

Should it happen, I'll just search or even make my own site to post my tale. Or I'll just write privately for my friends. If not, for myself. Like I have said so many times before, I write not for recognition, I just write for the sake of the fun I have writing, whenever I want to.

If I am writing to be famous, I would be trying a lot harder and use an original tale instead of a fanfic.

That said, I want a vacation from life.

Till next time.

XD


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